Satirist and voice actor Saeed Shakiba sent to trial for "supporting Pahlavi"

The Islamic Republic's judiciary announced on Sunday 25 October 2026 that an indictment has been issued against Saeed Shakiba, a voice actor, satirist and Instagram blogger, and that his case has been sent to court for trial. The case was opened less than two weeks after he published a satirical video imitating the voice of Ali Khamenei.

The judiciary's media centre listed Saeed Shakiba's charges as "insulting and propaganda activity against the system of the Islamic Republic" and "knowingly endorsing Israel in cyberspace" through "black propaganda and support for Pahlavi". Support for the Pahlavi family and for Prince Reza Pahlavi has thus officially entered the list of charges against an artist.

How Saeed Shakiba's case began

On Tuesday 13 October, Saeed Shakiba published a video on his Instagram page in which he imitated the voice of Ali Khamenei. Less than 24 hours later, on Wednesday 14 October, the Tehran prosecutor's office opened a case against him and called his content "insulting and offensive". All the posts on his page were deleted, and only a notice from the Islamic Republic's police remained, saying the page had been blocked for "criminal content".

Saeed Shakiba had earlier expressed support in another video for those killed in the Dey 1404 uprising (January 2026), and the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency had presented him with the label "supporter of the Dey coup", the label the authorities use for the uprising of the Iranian people. The date of his arrest and the place where he is being held have not been disclosed.

Crackdown on satire and on support for Prince Reza Pahlavi

Saeed Shakiba's case follows a wave of judicial action against artists, athletes and citizens who openly stood with the people after the Dey uprising. In recent weeks, 171 royalist prisoners and activists inside Iran declared their support for the leadership of Prince Reza Pahlavi despite the same pressure, and Rashid Mazaheri, former national team goalkeeper, was moved to solitary confinement in prison.

After the indictment was announced, social media users recalled Saeed Shakiba's talent and voiced concern about his fate.

The Islamic Republic's judiciary has turned "support for Pahlavi" into a formal charge against a satirist.