Iran Cyber Police will track down and prosecute people who share images and/or videos depicting animal abuse online, according to Col. Alireza Azarderakhsh, head of the department of cybercrime prevention at the Cyber Police. “Sharing of media depicting animal cruelty promotes violence and may have a negative impact on the society at large; therefore, it is a crime,” Azarderakhsh told Mehr News Agency. He urged concerned netizens to contact the police via their online portal, cyberpolice.ir, and report people who breach the law by promoting animal cruelty. According to Islamic law, abusing and killing animals is considered a crime and should be dealt with by the judicial authorities. Offenders generally take to social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to share footage of animals being abused. Last year, a video shared online showing stray dogs in Shiraz being injected with a substance presumed to be acid sparked outrage, prompting activists and celebrities to protest against animal cruelty that more often goes unnoticed and unpunished.
