Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeIran News NowIran Human RightsIran: Two arrested for 'insulting regime officials' on their Facebook page

Iran: Two arrested for ‘insulting regime officials’ on their Facebook page

NCRI – Two Internet users have been arrested in Iran for ‘insulting government officials’ on their Facebook page.

Cyber-police said they ‘identified, arrested and interrogated’ the pair as part of the regime’s ongoing clampdown on free online activity.

Seyed Ali Mirahmadi, the cyber-police chief in Semnan province, said: “The police found a Facebook page that had published pictures insulting the government officials.

“The owners of this page were a 45-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman who were identified, arrested and interrogated.”

“With operations carried out in cities of Semnan and Mehdishahr the two were arrested and interrogated and turned over to judicial authorities.”

Speaking on Tuesday this week, he added: “The most important job of the cyber-police is to increase the security atmosphere on the Internet by continuous scrutiny.”

Mirahmadi also warned other Internet users to respect online regulations and said: “The cyber police has full control over what goes on in the cyberspace.”

Since the June election, Iran has stepped up measures to control online activity, with arresting anyone criticising the regime or those selling software that helps evade internet filtering.

On Monday, the regime’s communications minister also said every citizen would be assigned an official state email address ending ‘mail.post.ir’ in order to ‘foster mutual interaction and communication between the government and the people’.

The Iranian regime currently imposes one of the world’s strictest national Internet filters, which is often sidestepped by those with the computing skills. The country has also been working on a ‘national Intranet’ which would allow Iranians to communicate electronically with one another but not with the outside world.