Iran Accuses Meta of 'Violating' Supreme Leader Khamenei’s 'Freedom of Speech'

New Delhi: Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is now  facing criticism for ‘violating free speech’ of  Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after removing his social media accounts, as per media reports .Reports further added that  Iran accused Meta of violating free speech and freedom of expression by taking down Khamenei's accounts.

Facebook and Instagram are widely used in Iran, despite being officially blocked by the government. Officials in Iran, including Khamenei, have accounts on these platforms. Iranians often use VPNs to access them.

Meta stated that it removed Khamenei's accounts because he repeatedly violated their policies regarding’ dangerous organisations’ and ‘individuals’. This decision came after Khamenei expressed support for the Palestinian group Hamas following an attack on Israel in October, the reports added.

Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, slammed Meta for their decision, calling it a violation of freedom of speech and an insult to Khamenei's millions of followers. He accused Western countries of using freedom of expression as a pretext for their own political agendas. Khamenei had over five million followers on his Instagram account, according to reports. Amir-Abdollahian  while criticising Meta to silence their supreme leader's voice  also spoke about Khamenei's role as a supporter of the Palestinian cause.

"Not only a violation of freedom of speech, but also an insult to millions of followers of his positions and news. The mottos of freedom of expression by some Western claimants are hollow and showy slogans and a cover for their illegitimate political goals," the Iranian Foreign Minister said.