Child’s murder unleashes social media storm in Iran

Setayesh Ghoreishi, was just six when she died. The Afghan girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 17-year-old, who then destroyed her body with acid.

Her case could have disappeared in the Iranian court system — Afghan migrants, who number about 2m, often face discrimination by the judiciary and other institutions.
Instead, her death provoked a social media storm, with an online outpouring of grief and a show of solidarity with Afghan migrants. A vigil for the murdered child was organised viaTelegram , a popular messaging app in Iran, and eventually the judiciary took notice and promised to fast-track her case.
Another successful social media campaign is helping a detainee of the notorious Evin Prison .
  

 Omid Kokabee, an Iranian physicist associated with the University of Texas, has been in the jail since being arrested on charges of espionage in 2011. He is currently suffering from kidney cancer, and Iranians blame the regime for delaying treatment two years ago that could have helped prevent its spread.

A #freeomid campaign has prompted a response from Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, a hardline spokesman of the judiciary who has denied any failure on the part of the authorities but said the prisoner’s 10-year sentence could be reconsidered depending on his medical condition.
“What would Kokabee have done if he were free?” said Mr Ejei. “He would have gone to hospital. He is in hospital now.”
A social media outcry over the decision by hardliners to dispatch 7,000 undercover police to ensure women keep their hair properly covered has meant the policy is unlikely to be fully implemented. Campaigners have called for the forces to instead investigate corruption among politically connected individuals.

Source: The Financial Times, 2 May 2016