Claim: The Islamic Republic of Iran has abolished the Guidance Patrol — commonly referred to as the “morality police” — in response to months of protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl, allegedly in custody. Fact: The claim is false as the authorities in Iran themselves denied that such a […]
Claim: The Iranian parliament sentenced 15,000 prisoners to death penalty for their involvement in protests. Fact: The Iranian parliament did not pronounce a sentence on any prisoners. An overwhelming majority of lawmakers did sign a letter calling for harsh punishments for those involved in the recent protests. Over the past two months, Iran has been […]
Claim: Multiple news content websites published clickbait headlines claiming white rice is as bad as candy, according to a new Iranian study. Fact: The study did not claim that white rice is as bad as candy. The lead author stated that consuming a diet with high amounts of unhealthy and refined grains can be considered […]
Claim: An image widely shared on social media claims that it shows pro-government rallies in Iran held to counter anti-hijab protests in September 2022. Fact: The image is not from recent protests but from a December 2017 protest in Tehran, Iran. On 24 September 2022, a Facebook user posted an image with a caption that, […]
Claim: A video shared on social media claims that it shows a man at the funeral of his daughter, who was purportedly killed by Iranian morality police for not covering her hair. Fact: The claim is false. The video is not from Iran; it is actually a clip from an episode of an Azerbaijani television […]
Claim: A video shows a Baloch ‘revolutionary’ firing from behind a wall as a fire burns nearby during a clash with Pakistan Army soldiers in the Balochistan province following the crash of a military helicopter in Harnai, near Khost, in September 2022. Fact: The clip is, in fact, from Baluchistan, Iran, where a newly-formed armed […]
Claim: A flag made of locks of hair waves in Iran in solidarity with a young woman killed by the country’s “morality police” for not wearing her hijab properly. Fact: The black flag is actually an installation by Belgian visual artist Edith Dekyndt unveiled in 2014. On 21 September 2022, Indian media outlet Firstpost shared […]
Claim: A social media video claims that it shows a woman cutting her hair and protesting in Iran. Fact: The claim is misleading. The video is from Germany, where protesting in solidarity with Iranian women. On 25 September 2022, a Twitter user posted a video with the caption “Here is a woman leading a rally […]
Claim: Actor Johnny Depp participated in an Ashura ritual in Karbala, Iraq on 10 Muharram of Islamic calendar. Fact: The man seen in the viral video is not Johnny Depp but, in fact, Iranian model Amin Sal’es. On 8 August 2022, Twitter user @mizsworld shared the picture of a man with long hair and sunglasses […]
Claim: A video circulating on social media shows a large fire that broke out at a Pakistani power plant near Guddu, Sindh in July 2022. Fact: The video has been making rounds on social media since 2021 and in fact depicts a fire that broke out by Afghanistan’s largest trade crossing with Iran. On 15 […]
Claim: Pakistan is a top destination for countries to dump their waste, with most countries opting to dispose of their waste in Pakistan. Fact: According to publicly available information, Pakistan’s relative share in the import of global waste is small. The misinformation appears connected to reports that 40 No Objection Certificates (“NOCs”) were issued to […]
Claim: A viral photograph shows two PTI supporters kissing. Fact: The picture is, in fact, from the 2014 FIFA World Cup match between Iran and Nigeria, which took place on 17 June 2014. It shows two fans kissing before the match started. The doctored image indicates that the Emblem of Iran has been removed from […]