Executed for a Hashtag: The Death of Majid Mosayebi and the Price of Dissent in Iran
Mosayebi was convicted by Isfahan's Revolutionary Court on charges of "waging war against God" and "corruption on earth" for alleged ties to Israeli intelligence, but human rights groups say otherwise
On June 22, 2025, Iranian authorities allegedly executed Majid Mosayebi (also spelled Masibi), a man they claimed was an Israeli spy who had provided sensitive information to the Mossad. Iranian dissidents and opposition figures, however, claim that Mosayebi's only "crime" was posting a hashtag: #من_وکالت_میدهم("I give power of attorney")—a symbolic gesture used by Iranians to reject the Islamic Republic's authority. Mosayebi's death marks a chilling escalation in how Iran criminalizes speech.
According to Human Rights Organizations, Mosayebi was convicted by the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan on charges of "moharebeh" (waging war against God) and "efsad-fil-arz" (corruption on earth) for alleged collaboration with Israeli intelligence. However, his arrest had never been publicly reported, raising serious questions about due process. Iran Human Rights has linked his death to their previous warning of the “intensification of repression and executions of defendants accused of espionage for Israel.”
The Origins of #من_وکالت_میدهم
According to critics, Mosayebi was executed for a single post on X, a hashtag expressing dissent against the authoritarian regime that went viral in January 2023. The #من_وکالت_میدهم ("I give power of attorney") campaign was launched after Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s interview in January 2023 with Manoto TV, where he discussed the need for legitimacy to represent Iranians internationally and that someone needed to speak on their behalf.
A few days after the interview, former presenter of the Iranian Broadcasting Cooperation, Ehsan Karam, created an online campaign to grant Pahlavi “power of attorney” on behalf of the Iranian people. The campaign, which included a petition on Change.org, garnered 300,000 signatures within four days, eventually reaching 500,000 signatures by April 2024. The hashtag symbolized a request for Pahlavi to represent and “speak for” supporters in transitioning to a secular regime.
The 2022-2023 Political Protests
The #من_وکالت_میدهم campaign came on the heels of the nationwide protests that began in September 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for not wearing her hair covering “correctly” according to Iranian law. These protests, characterized by the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom," included the killing of 551 people according to a UN report. This was the highest number killed in any protest in Iran since the Islamic Regime’s 1979 revolution.
Since the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, Iran has dramatically escalated its use of capital punishment against dissidents, in alignment with Mosayebi’s execution. In 2024 alone, Iranian authorities executed at least 975 people, the highest number since Iran Human Rights began recording executions in 2008. The figure represented a 17% increase from the 834 executions recorded in 2023.
Iran's execution spree has continued unabated into 2025. According to Human Rights Watch, Iranian authorities executed at least 478 people in the first five months of 2025, representing a 75% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
During the leadup to Mosayebi’s execution, Iran initiated a near-total national internet blackout beginning on June 16, 2025. Internet traffic dropped to less than 10% of its normal level within the first hour. The blackout, which reached a near-total shutdown by June 18, was seen as psychological warfare designed to control information.
Silence From International Media as Iranians Mourn
The international community’s response to Mosayebi’s death has been muted. While some European and American officials condemned Iran's 2022–2023 protest executions, there has been little sustained pressure to halt further killings. Human Rights Organizations have called for sanctions and accountability, but Iran has ignored these demands.
In the past seven days, approximately 5,000 posts have appeared on X, raising awareness about Mosayebi’s execution. Most posts are from Iran and are written in Farsi by people aged 25-34. Yet, few international media outlets have covered the story.