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Iranwire – “I aimed to document the security forces’ unauthorized raids on people’s homes, which is why I decided to livestream it on Instagram. In the final moments, I positioned myself behind a window to ensure they couldn’t reach me. They inundated my phone with calls, which disrupted my internet connection and prevented me from broadcasting their brutal assault live. Despite the challenges, I managed to block their numbers one by one and resumed the live stream.”
These are the words of Mohammad Sadeghi, a young theater, cinema and TV actor whose Instagram live video went viral when security forces attacked his house.
Sadeghi holds a bachelor’s degree in executive management with a focus on industries and began his artistic career in theater at the age of 18.
He was arrested in July last year by agents of the Tehran Intelligence Department in his home in eastern Tehran.
In an interview with IranWire, Sadeghi recounted the story of his arrest.
“My brother was assaulted by a member of the security forces in front of our house. When he identified me as his brother and I tried to intervene, an agent repeatedly shouted, ‘Are you a woman or a man?’ The commotion was so intense that it prevented my voice from reaching my mother on the third floor. I tried to explain to her that they had entered the building unlawfully.
“Eventually, my mobile internet was cut off, which indicated deliberate interference. I was hanging out of the window when they brought in a crane. I reached from the edge of the window to the crane’s cabin, which had several steps, and managed to grab hold. They pulled me up and brought me into the alley.
“There were two or three distinct groups present – security agents, moral police, and others. I informed the person in charge of moral security, who appeared to be a representative of the prosecutor, that I would only go with them.
“There was a dispute over which group should arrest me. I got into the car, and the officer sitting next to me attempted to strike me in the face with his knee. Finally, I arrived at the security building, and the interrogations started. They continued interrogating me until nightfall.”
Following Sadeghi’s arrest, the Information Center of the Greater Tehran Police Command issued a statement accusing Sadeghi of sharing a clip where he “openly endorsed violence and obscenity against law enforcement and societal order.”
The statement referred to an Instagram story in which Sadeghi commented on the redeployment of Morality Police patrols on the streets.
Sadeghi is among the artists who supported the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement from its inception.
Before his arrest, he had garnered attention from the LGBTQ community as a queer individual due to his non-binary gender expression.
During the 2022 uprising, Sadeghi posted a picture with red lipstick on his lips, stating, “We don’t want censorship.”
Although the image was removed from Sadeghi’s Instagram page after a few hours, it circulated among LGBTQ Instagram users, sparking speculations and rumors.
“I was constantly threatened by institutions and security forces who insisted that I delete this photo,” Sadeghi said.
“Even when I posted about the ‘No to Mandatory Hijab’ campaign, the threats persisted. After the arrest, they instructed me to delete pictures, post a picture of Palestine, express regret, to possibly reduce the sentence.”
Government-affiliated media used Sadeghi’s sexual and gender identity to discredit him, using insulting nicknames.
Following his arrest, Hamshahri newspaper ran the headline “Calling for chaos with lipstick and women’s tops.”
Fars news agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported his arrest with the headline “Actor promoting homosexuality.”
Sadeghi said that his identity was used to pressure and suppress him during his interrogations:
“Their behavior was insulting. They constantly threatened me with imprisonment, suggesting I would be subjected to harm. I tried to explain what LGBTQ is, but they insisted I was promoting homosexuality.
“They humiliated and insulted me over my nail polish and appearance, using it as a tool of psychological pressure. I responded by telling them that just as they derive pleasant feelings and good energy from the onyx ring on their hand, I feel good with my earrings and nail polish, and most importantly, it harms no one.”
When asked whether he was subjected to physical torture, Sadeghi replied, “To unlock my mobile phone, someone pulled my hair to steady my head, but I resisted and prevented them from unlocking it. Eventually, under courthouse pressure with promises like ‘cooperate and I’ll assist you,’ and the threat that police could unlock it if I didn’t give the password, I relented.
“My lawyer later clarified that there was no legal obligation to provide phone passwords, which unfortunately I did. I realized that the absence of physical harm during my arrest was due to the live broadcast. Had I been quietly arrested at home, I might have been beaten for weeks.”
Sadeghi, who was released on bail, said on Instagram that Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to five years in prison for “encouraging people to fight and kill each other.”
Addressing the authorities in his post, Sadeghi asked, “Either I go to prison or you take my mother’s house? Why? Because we don’t support you? Because we reject the Islamic Republic?”
“You are the enemy of the children and mothers of Iran. One day, we will reclaim our land,” he added.
Branch 36 of the Court of Appeal has since upheld his five-year prison sentence.
