The Chief of Iran’s Cyber Police (FATA) in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan said on April 6, that its agents had arrested a citizen for “posting a fake video”.
According to the state-run Tasnim News Agency, the man/woman had posted a video on the internet, showing locals “attacking” a poultry farm in Nikshahr after an increase in poultry prices and scarcity of chicken.
The FATA police charged him with “disturbing public opinion” and referred him to the judiciary.
“The hustle shown had nothing to do with poultry theft. People were buying from the poultry farm,” said Hassan Kikha, FATA Chief of Sistan and Baluchestan.
The identity of the detained Iranian was not stated in the report.
This is not an isolated case. On March 16, an Instagram admin was arrested on charges of “blasphemy and disturbing public opinion”.
In October 2020, Cyber Police arrested two people in Ardabil, northwestern Iran, on charges of insulting the province’s judiciary officials.
In May 2020, a 60-year-old man was detained by Cyber Police in a northern Iran province. His charges were “publishing lies” on social media platforms about the COVID-19 epidemic.
Iran’s Internet censorship
In a new law passed in February, Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace said websites and social media accounts with over 5,000 viewers or members will be monitored by judicial and government agencies.
According to IT Iran, a website that covers tech news, the law stipulates that account owners must immediately remove “unreal” information, news, or other content, upon being informed and must post an explanation, then report to the relevant authorities.
Accounts monitored will include social media channels, pages, websites, and apps that have over 5,000 viewers or members.
According to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Iran is included in the list of press freedom’s 20 worst digital predators in 2020, which include companies and government agencies that use digital technology to spy on and harass journalists and thereby jeopardize freedom of access to news and information.
Iran is also ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
Source » irannewswire