SARA POURKHAZRI

Kermanshah_In recent days, the publication of private photos of hundreds of women through a Telegram channel in Lorestan province,western Iran, has triggered a wave of public anger and anxiety. Reports indicate that those running the channel used threats, extortion, and pressure to foce women to comply with their demands in exchange for deleting the images.

According to reports, the published photos were either stolen from the women's personal accounts or manipulated using AI-based techniques.

Reports indicate that the psychological and social pressure resulting from this drocr a number of women to attempt suicide, with the deaths of three girls, aged between 15 and 18 confirmed, while others remain in hospital receiving treatment following suicide attempts. Around 200 complaints related to the case have also been filed.

After the photos spread_and before their authenticity was even verified-some women faced pressure, threats, and criticism from their own familly members, heightening fears over a rise in domestic violence and "honor"-related threats, including the possibility that some women could be killed.

Narges Rostami(a pseudonym), who follows the case closely, says:"The women who found themselves at the center of these events are facing severe, suffocating pressure these days from their families, This pressure has become so harsh that some of them have begun to see suicide as the only way out of this difficult situation, They face not only harsh judgment from those around them, but also carry the weight to society's gaze."

She adds that the pressure has not been limited to the women directly involved in the case, as many families in Lorestan imposed strict restrictions on their daughters in recent days confirmed facts,but merely on suspicion and fear. Some families barred their daughters from using phones or leaving the house, and imposed surveillance over their social relationships, believing this would prevent similar incidents from happening.

 

From the Publication of Photos to a Wave of Vioilence Against Women

This incident in Lorestan reveals from of collective punishment of women, as the case has become a pretext for  reinforcing a patriarchal discourse seeking to impose further restrictions on women and deny them the ability to make their own decisions.

Before the claims could be verified and before women were given a chance to defend themselves, many found themselves under enormous social and family pressure.

Although sources close to the case have spolen of suicide attempts and the deaths of three women, the possibility of so-called "honor"killings can'nt be ruled out, particularly given precenents of femicide in lorestan. In 2021, 14-year-old Mobina Souri was killed by relatives, with her death initially reported as a suicide.

In 2023, two girls in Lorestan were also killed by their father and uncle,with one of their deaths made to look like suicide after she was forced to ingest a toxic substance.These precedents raise concerns that some of the girls involved in the current case may face violence from their own family members.

 

When"Reputation"Becomes a Pretext for Excluding Women

this practice is not limited to Lorestan along;other regions have seen similar incidents in past years. Roya Ahmadi(a pseudonym),who experienced a similar incident in 2019, recounts what happened to her: "I was living in the small town of Sonqor in Kernanshah.  "  There, women were always under surveillance, and something like 'reputatiion' could be used as a pretext to exclude them from society. that year, an Instagram page appeared where people would send photos of women mey admired to express their feeling and convey messages."

She adds: "Unintentionally and without my knowledge, a blurry photo of me shopping was posted on that page, accompanied by a lot of emotional commentary from whoever posted it.  In under an hour, more than 100 people had reshared my photo, and within a week strange rumors about me had spread so widely that I had to stay home for a long time." Luckily, my parents stood by me, but I always think: if my father had been a different kind of person, I might not still be alive today.

On another front, such incidents may be used as a pretext by certain official bodies and affiliated media to tighten restrictions on online space and expand internet-blocking policies, rather than focusing on holding those responsible for stealing and publishing the photos accountable.

While women face criticism simply for having their photos circulate on social media, the perpetrators who stole, extorted, and illegally published them are largely ignored.

The experiences of the affected women reveal that in societies dominated by patriarchal attitudes, women often bear the burden of blame and accusation, and are expected to police their clothing, behavior, and social presence to avoid others' violence — rather than holding those who commit violence accountable.

In the Lorestan case as well, before those primarily responsible could even be identified and punished, women found themselves confronting pressure, threats, and even the risk of losing their lives simply for being women