Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 15/1/2026; Author: Marko Vukajlović
The whole world is closely watching the protests in Iran, in which around two and a half thousand people have reportedly been killed so far.
Protesters are expressing discontent over high inflation, and chants calling for the removal of the Iranian leadership can be heard. On the other hand, U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening military action.
While Iranians have no access to the internet, photographs and videos are spreading on social media of an alleged heroine from the streets of Iran, shown lighting a cigarette with a photograph of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei set on fire. One of the posts is accompanied by the following claims: (archived: here)
“This woman risks everything. Freedom. Life. Family. In Iran, where the regime is stronger than the law, she publicly burns the image of a dictator. Without protection. Without privileges. Without the Western media that will defend her tomorrow. That is real courage. That is a real fight for women’s rights. And where are the loud feminists now – Dalija, Kate, Bencic, B.A.B.E.? Where are the leftists who usually shout about ‘oppression’? They are silent!!!!! Because this woman does not fit their narrative. No performance. No safe activism. Just pure courage against a brutal regime. Respect for this woman. Shame on those who remain silent!!!”
However, media outlets and fact-checkers report that the video and the photographs taken from it were not created in Iran, but in Canada. In the footage, a building can be seen behind the woman, which, through reverse image search, can be located in Richmond Hill, Canada. Full Fact reports:
“The video was originally posted on January 9, 2026, from an account on X with a location tag placing it in Ontario, Canada. The user, who resembles the woman in the video, writes many posts in Persian and uses the Iranian ‘Lion and Sun’ flag from the pre-1979 period in her name.
The background visible in the video matches a location in Richmond Hill, a city outside Toronto.
On January 10, the woman gave an interview to the Portuguese news agency Lusa in which she confirmed that the video was filmed in Toronto. She said that she ‘never claimed to be in Iran’ and that she recorded the video to show her opposition to the regime, which she claims she fled in March 2025.”
Reuters reports that the user operating under the pseudonym Morticia Addams on X reposted an interview she gave to the Spanish outlet The Objective, in which she said that she spent most of her life in Iran, that her family is still there, but that she currently lives in exile in Canada. The Reuters article further states:
“The video was, however, filmed in front of a branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Ontario, Canada, opposite the Richmond Hill Public Library, which can be seen behind the woman.
The woman posted the video on X on January 9, after sharing a screenshot the previous day. She showed screenshots on her X from Canada and Instagram, which included the date January 7 on the video.”
From the above, it is clear that the video and photographs that went viral on social media were created in Canada, not in Iran, which is why the disputed post receives the rating: manipulation of facts.
The “Manipulation of Facts” rating is given to a media report that uses known and accurate facts but interprets them in a deceptive manner. These reports generally employ accurate information to draw incorrect conclusions or claims, leading media consumers to draw conclusions that differ from the actual meaning of the presented facts.
