Judiciary Chief Calls for Security Measures Against Cyber Space

The Chief Justice announced that officials are 'thinking of solutions' regarding cyberspace after a meeting with the Supreme Leader, urging security agencies to confront what he described as 'the branches connected to foreigners in cyberspace.' Meanwhile, the Mehr News Agency reported on Friday, January 6, citing the National Research Institute of Cyber Space, that from January 24 to February 2, over 10,000 Persian channels were created on Telegram, bringing the total number of Persian-language Telegram channels to 754,000. According to ISNA, Sadegh Larijani, the Chief Justice, on Thursday, February 5, mentioned the formation of a meeting of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace in the presence of Ayatollah Khamenei, stating that the officials of the Islamic Republic are 'thinking of solutions' regarding cyberspace. He added, 'This problem must be solved as soon as possible, and all security agencies are obliged to confront the domestic branches that collaborate with enemies and foreigners in cyberspace.' Before the Chief Justice's remarks, Ahmad Jannati, Secretary of the Guardian Council and Chairman of the Assembly of Experts, also reported on Thursday about a 'several-hour' meeting of the Supreme Leader with a number of 'experts' in cyberspace on Tuesday, adding that following this meeting, 'an action will be taken.' According to Sadegh Larijani, the President of Iran has suggested that courts use the 'expert opinion' of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace for handling cases related to cyberspace. Continuing the attacks by Islamic Republic officials on cyberspace, Yahya Rahim Safavi, the military advisor to the Supreme Leader, stated that the 'largest calls' for recent gatherings were made in cyberspace. According to Tasnim News Agency, he emphasized in a speech on Thursday night that 'enemies intend to undermine national unity using cyberspace.' Meanwhile, Ahmad Khatami, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, in his sermon on February 6, emphasized that 'today the enemy is trying to exploit new information tools,' calling for the creation of what he termed a 'healthy cyberspace.' He added, 'We agree with a healthy cyberspace using internal capacities and without the interference of enemies, but the current situation is far from what we should have.' Mr. Khatami on Thursday referred to a group labeled as 'seditionists' in cyberspace as the 'leaders of recent protests.' He and some other principlist figures, including Naser Makarem Shirazi, have demanded that Telegram not be unblocked. Abdol-Samad Khorram-Abadi, Deputy Prosecutor General, has also described the unblocking of Telegram, which was ordered by the President of Iran as the head of the Supreme National Security Council, as 'illegal.' The blocking of Telegram in Iran has led to protests from many human rights organizations, and the U.S. government, in new sanctions against several individuals and entities in Iran, has sanctioned the Supreme Council of Cyberspace of Iran, the Cyber Defense Center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and several other entities for their role in restricting Iranian users' access to the internet and international media. 754,000 Persian channels have been registered on Telegram. The Mehr News Agency reported on Friday, citing the National Research Institute of Cyber Space, that during the period from January 24 to February 2, over 10,000 Persian channels were created on Telegram. Based on these statistics, the number of channels created on Telegram has increased from 743,000 at the end of January to 754,000 channels. According to this report, of these channels, 264,347 are updated. The National Research Institute of Cyber Space also estimated that the number of views of Persian Telegram channels on February 2 reached two billion, 285 million, 370 thousand, and 439 views. Even before the recent protests, individuals close to the Supreme Leader had repeatedly called for restrictions on social networks and messaging apps. Among them, Mohammad Baqer Olfat, the Deputy for Social Affairs and Crime Prevention of the Judiciary, had previously called for 50% of the programs of this deputy's office in 2018 to be dedicated to 'crimes and harms of cyberspace.' Meanwhile, Farzad Jalilian, head of the Social Studies and Criminology Center of the Social Affairs Deputy of the Judiciary, announced that following this directive, a study titled 'An Introduction to the Necessity of Establishing a Scientific-National Committee for Preventing Crimes and Harms of Cyberspace' has been prepared. He stated in an interview with Mizan News Agency that the Judiciary has prepared plans based on this research, including 'establishing a national network for preventing crimes and harms of cyberspace.' Mr. Jalilian did not specify when these plans would be implemented. The Human Rights Campaign in Iran recently reported in a 75-page document on the increase in the Islamic Republic's 'capability' to 'block,' 'censor,' and 'monitor the internet' in Iran. This report, published on January 10 under the title 'Control Gates: Internet Policy in the Government of Hassan Rouhani,' examines the role of Rouhani's government, the institutions under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and intelligence and security organizations in limiting Iranian users' access to the internet and interfering in their privacy.