There were warnings and protests from Iranian hardliners last weekend, when European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met with [1] with several human rights activists at the Austrian embassy in Tehran on Saturday, March 8, 2014.
In a negative article about the meeting, conservative newspaper Javan, doctored [2] a photo, erasing an image of Gohar Eshghi, the mother of the blogger Sattar Beheshti [3], who died under torture in police custody in 2012.
Javan later published [4] both photos with an explanation, saying they had censored the photo to avoid criticism for labeling the bloggers’ aging mother a “seditionist”.
Half Saddam, half Ashton
Mohammad Hassan Najmi tweeted [5] a photo of a propaganda billboard showing Ashton's face halved and shared with Saddam Hussein's.
نصب پوسترهایی در تهران که نیمی از آن چهره #اشتون [6] و نیم دیگر چهره صدام است. pic.twitter.com/SRFFCcVhZm [7]
— Mohammad Hasan Najmi (@mnajmi64) March 12, 2014 [8]
In Tehran, some posters on billboards depict Ashton's face as half Saddam Hussein [9] [former Iraqi president who led a war against Iran, 1980-88].
They censor because they fear
Mehdi Mohseni tweeted [10] a satirical image of Sattar Beheshti's mother being cut out:
سانسورت مىكنند چون از حقيقت مىترسند! #ستار [11] بهشتى #اشتون [6] pic.twitter.com/9XhZ97eOFu [12]
— Mehdi Mohseni (@mehdimohseni) March 12, 2014 [13]
They censor because they are scared.
Mohammad Moni tweeted [14] on March 11 on the likelihood of government complicity with the protest:
گروهی از «دانشجویان» در اعتراض به «اقدام خارج از عرف» #اشتون [6]، در برابر سفارت #اتریش [15] تجمع میکنند/توجه: تو این مملکت آببازی هم مجوز میخواد
— محمّد معینی (@mmoeeni) March 11, 2014 [16]
Several students protested against Ashton's meeting with activists in front of the Austrian Embassy. Keep in mind you need a permission for even a water fight here. [several people were arrested after a playful water fight [17] in public in 2011]
“Ms. Ashton, Iran is not Ukraine”
A small group of hardliners demonstrated in front of Austrain embassy. One of the slogans was: “Ms. Ashton, this is not Ukraine.”
It was the first visit of an EU foreign policy chief to Iran since 2008.