Popular Iranian Chef Arrested After Posting 'Gogi Twigim' on Instagram

by Bang Jeil

Published 06 Jan.2023 16:05(KST)

Posting 'Gogi Twigim' Interpreted as Criticism of the Government

After the 'hijab protests,' Iranian authorities, who have been arresting numerous celebrities critical of the government, have now detained a famous chef.

According to the British daily The Guardian on the 5th (local time), Persian cuisine expert and renowned chef Navab Ebrahimi was arrested by authorities in Tehran on the 4th and imprisoned in Evin Prison, the Iranian human rights group HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency) reported.

Persian traditional fried meat dish 'Kotlet'

Ebrahimi is a chef famous for his videos on traditional Persian cuisine and an influencer with 2.7 million Instagram followers.

The exact reason for his arrest has not been confirmed. Ebrahimi's followers and supporters speculate that it is related to his recent Instagram post featuring the recipe for "Kotlet," a Persian fried meatball dish.

He recently posted the fried meat recipe to mark the third anniversary of the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, who died in a U.S. airstrike.

In Iran, people critical of the government often post pictures of Kotlet on the anniversary of Soleimani's death as a form of mockery. The Guardian also reported that Soleimani's arrest might be connected to posting Kotlet photos.

Famous chef Navab Ebrahimi arrested by Iranian authorities

Soleimani, one of Iran's highest-ranking figures, was killed on January 3, 2020, while visiting Iraq, targeted by a U.S. drone strike.

Since the large-scale anti-government protests triggered by the suspicious death of women not wearing hijabs, the government has continued its crackdown, arresting prominent journalists, filmmakers, lawyers, and activists. The United Nations estimates that at least 14,000 people have been detained by Iranian authorities during the series of anti-government protests.