Digital dissent and social grass-roots mobilization on X: The impact of #MahsaAmini on digital political activism in the Islamic Republic of Iran

This paper examines how dissent and social mobilization were constructed on Persian X (formerly Twitter) during the protests following Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022. Through a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of posts using the hashtag #MahsaAmini (مهسا_امینی#), the study shows that X functioned not only as a space for reporting events but also as a medium for coordination, framing political demands, and articulating visions of systemic change. The findings highlight how digitally mediated communication enabled the rapid formation and circulation of oppositional narratives despite severe restrictions on access and expression within Iran.