A year ago, before the first votes were cast, the authorities began their clamp down on Iranians’ access to international news. Websites judged critical of Ahmadinejad were either censored or shut down. The text message system mysteriously failed hours before the polls opened. The problems persisted for some time after the disputed result.
Since that time, “mysterious” failures of SMS and internet have continued, often coinciding with important celebrations in the Iranian calendar – and planned anti-regime demonstrations. Many news sites find themselves filtered.
Last September, an IRGC affiliate, Mobin Trust Consortium, took a majority stake in Telecommunications Company of Iran. TCI controls Iran’s internet and cell phone access. In recent weeks two IRGC commanders have admitted to links between their organisation and the ‘Iranian Cyber Army’ – responsible for the infamous hacking of Twitter in December last year, as well as opposition websites like Mowjcamp and Kaleme.
As the anniversary of the elections approaches, there are already rumours that the internet has been slowing down as sites are being filtered and then unblocked, perhaps in preparation for another crackdown. Many journalists and human rights activists in Iran have been arrested.
We are a few days from 22 Khordad… what will we hear and see? What will we be
allowed to hear, see and tell?
