SAEDNEWS: Prosecutors in Gilan province have formally charged Reza Asheri, a member of Rasht’s City Council, after he urged Israel via Instagram to assassinate President Masoud Pezeshkian, framing the request as a bid to “elevate him to martyrdom.”
According to Saed News, the Gilan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal case against Reza Asheri under charges of “disturbing public opinion,” following an incendiary Instagram story in which he appealed to Israel to target President Pezeshkian. The petition, which appeared on Asheri’s social media account, featured a photograph of the president with captions such as:
“Israel, would you do us the favor? Our ‘martyr’ president—newer and more revolutionary than the last—deserves the highest honor of martyrdom. Just look at his face: it cries out for sacrifice.”
Quoting the judicial news agency Mizan, Saed News reports that Asheri has been summoned for questioning as the investigation proceeds. Legal experts note that while freedom of expression is protected, calls for targeted violence—especially against a sitting head of state—constitute a serious offence under Iranian law. If convicted, Asheri could face penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment.
Political analysts say the incident underlines growing tensions within local governance bodies, where hardline rhetoric occasionally spills into public discourse. “Encouraging foreign assassination is beyond mere political posturing,” said one Tehran-based commentator. “It crosses into criminal territory and undermines the sanctity of domestic institutions.”
As the judiciary continues its preliminary inquiries, attention now turns to whether the case against Asheri will set a precedent for policing inflammatory speech by elected officials.
