30 Members of Parliament: Minister of Information Should Explain About Telegram Channel Admin Arrests

On Tuesday, June 9, 30 members of the Parliament sent a letter to the Minister of Information, raising questions regarding the detention of administrators of Telegram channels. They requested a report on the status of the detainees, the reasons for their arrest, the process of handling their charges, and the reasons for their continued detention and uncertainty. According to ISNA news agency, these MPs have asked Mahmoud Alavi to explain the 'reason for the detention of the admins of five pro-government Telegram channels and their uncertainty for more than two months.' The letter highlights that these individuals 'have not been formally charged within the legal timeframe, contrary to Article 32 of the Constitution, and have not been allowed to introduce a lawyer to the judicial authority, contrary to Article 35 of the Constitution.' This letter, signed by 30 members of Parliament, has been referred by the Parliament's presiding board to the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. The social network 'Telegram' is one of the most widely used networks in Iran, with millions of users according to officials. In recent years, the judicial and security authorities of the Islamic Republic have made significant efforts to block 'Telegram,' but have been unsuccessful due to government opposition. On January 18 of last year, Reza Salehi Amiri, the Minister of Culture, announced the closure of over 160,000 'corruption channels' in cyberspace, which he claimed engaged in 'heretical' and 'corrupt' activities. Additionally, Iranian officials have formed a 'Cyber Basij' with the collaboration of '18,000 individuals' to monitor users' activities in cyberspace. Following the events of 2009, commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij have frequently spoken about their intention to establish virtual headquarters to combat what they call the 'soft war of the enemy.' The head of the Information and Public Security Police of Hormozgan announced on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, the arrest of 32 managers of Telegram channels and social media users in the province, emphasizing the need for 'decisive action' against what he called 'violators and disruptors of public order in cyberspace.' According to ISNA, Ali-Asghar Abadi-Nik also reported the identification of 78 channels, groups, and user accounts on social media that, according to him, were involved in 'spreading falsehoods, disrupting public order, creating fear and panic, disseminating immoral content, and unauthorized and unconventional advertising.' The head of Hormozgan's Information Police stated that the identification and arrest of the mentioned 32 internet offenders were part of a plan to combat cybercriminals in the province, and public security police are decisively confronting all violators and criminals who, in his view, 'disrupt public order.' Previously, Kamal Hadianfar, the commander of the Cyber Police, stated on December 7 that channels committing crimes and violations on Telegram are being monitored by the Cyber Police and are subject to filtering. Several prominent clerics and close associates of the Supreme Leader have previously expressed concern about the content of cyberspace. For instance, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia source of emulation, described the internet as 'a very foul and dangerous swamp for the youth.' Meanwhile, Mahmoud Vaezi, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, announced on December 6 of last year a new resolution from the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, which states that news channels on social media with more than five thousand members must obtain a license. Despite numerous restrictions and filtering, social networks in Iran have become one of the main communication tools and an open space for various activities of the people, with increasing usage. The government of Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly stated that it does not seek to block social networks but rather implements a policy of 'smart filtering' regarding them. According to officials, currently, 85% of Iranians have access to mobile internet, and there are 46 million internet users in Iran, of which 29 million are young people. The issue of filtering and the confiscation of press in Iran has been consistently criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations.