The commander of the Tehran police announced the arrest of 723 individuals in the first eight months of this year on charges of committing 'internet crimes' and stated that 'discoveries of internet crimes' during this period increased by four percent compared to the same period last year. According to the state news agency IRNA, Hossein Sajjadi-Nia said on Saturday, December 14, that 609 men and 114 women were arrested by cyber police in connection with 'economic, ethical, and social' cases. He mentioned charges including 'spreading falsehoods', 'distorting information', 'establishing websites contrary to public decency and unauthorized matchmaking', 'distributing obscene audio and video', 'fraud', 'internet harassment and extortion', 'distributing private videos and images', 'hacking computer systems', and 'selling unauthorized goods'. According to Mr. Sajjadi-Nia, 916 cases regarding 'economic crimes in cyberspace' were formed in the first eight months of this year, with 869 cases discovered and 228 men and 46 women arrested for 'unauthorized internet withdrawals' from individuals' accounts. The Cyber Police, known as FATA, was established in 2010, and police commanders have stated that its purpose is to combat issues such as 'insulting the leader and the ideals of the revolution, undermining the system, espionage, sabotage, invasion of privacy, theft, and fraud'. In recent years, officials from this police unit have reported the arrest of individuals who, according to them, engaged in disseminating private photos and videos, unauthorized withdrawals from accounts, distributing 'immoral' images and videos, or establishing 'gambling and betting sites'. Meanwhile, some Iranian citizens have been arrested by FATA for expressing their political or religious views online. For instance, on November 9, 2012, Sattar Beheshti, a worker and Iranian blogger, was arrested by FATA and reportedly died in custody due to beatings. Additionally, Reza Moieni, head of the Iran section of Reporters Without Borders, stated on December 5 that according to existing statistics, nearly 100 citizen bloggers have been arrested since August 2013, marking the beginning of Hassan Rouhani's presidency. The crackdown on citizens' activities in cyberspace intensified particularly after the 2009 presidential elections in Iran, and in recent years, units from the Revolutionary Guards and the Ministry of Intelligence have also arrested several citizens due to their online activities.
Over Seven Hundred Arrested in 2015 on Charges of Internet Crimes
In the first eight months of 2015, Iranian police arrested 723 individuals for internet crimes, with a notable increase in cases compared to the previous year. The arrests included both men and women, and the charges ranged from fraud to unauthorized withdrawals from bank accounts. This crackdown reflects ongoing efforts by Iranian authorities to control online expression and combat perceived threats to the regime.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Tehran police arrested 723 individuals for internet crimes, marking a 4% increase in cases from last year.
- Tehran police arrest 723 individuals
- Hossein Sajjadi-Nia announce internet crimes
- Cyber Police (FATA) arrest 609 men and 114 women
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The crackdown on internet crimes highlights the Iranian government's increasing repression of online dissent.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%