Renowned Iranian chef Nawab Ebrahimi, known for his Instagram videos featuring Persian cuisine, was arrested in Tehran on Wednesday as part of a crackdown on protests that have rocked the country for months, AFP reported Thursday, citing human rights groups.

According to the human rights organization HRANA, Ebrahimi was taken to Evin prison in Tehran.

The reasons for the arrest of Nawab Ebrahimi, who has 2.7 million followers on Instagram, were not given.

According to netizens, his arrest coincides with the publication of the meatball recipe on the same day that Iranian authorities commemorated the death three years ago of Revolutionary Guard Corps General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed during a US attack in Iraq. Iranian opponents of the regime began posting images of chops on the anniversary of the death of this important general, thus hinting that he was killed by a US drone.

“Chef and influencer Nawab Ebrahimi has been arrested in Tehran. Social media users speculate that his arrest is related to his Instagram description” of a meatball recipe, the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran reported. The NGO did not provide further details and Ebrahimi’s Instagram account is no longer available.

The Noj cafe he owns in Tehran has closed, according to information posted on Twitter by filmmaker and photographer Nik Yousefi, who was arrested in October and later released. (full on Agerpres)