Iran's supreme leader criticized for saying there is ‘free speech’ in his country

During his annual Nowruz speech from the city of Mashhad, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the important issues of the year that has passed and discussed the upcoming year. One segment of his speech, however, stood out among others, which received a large reaction online.

During the speech, Khamenei said, “Some unfair individuals take advantage of free speech and say that there is no freedom in the country, and foreigners repeat this propaganda, while in the country there is freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom of choice.” He continued, “Today, no one under the Islamic Republic is pursued or put under pressure for being opposed to the government in their thoughts or views, and there is no intention to do this.”