This report covers the activities of Iran’s Cyber Police, FATA, and Judicial authorities in restricting the country’s Internet and suppressing freedom of expression and freedom of the press online during the final quarter of 2021, which falls between October and December 2021.
During this quarter we have observed the arrest of a number of journalists for publishing reports and videos online, as well as the arrests of a number of activists and the seizure of their social media accounts.
There has also been a continued use of vague charges such as the publication of “immoral content” resulting in the arrests of a number of Iranians for publishing videos of dance tutorials, modelling photos, and for running online matchmaking channels and accounts.
Online gambling and betting has also been a high priority for FATA Police as a number of websites and channels promoting online betting or gambling were targeted.
Our previous FATA reports covering the previous quarters can be found here.
Targeting and Arrest of Activists and Journalists
Away from the eyes of the media and the press, FATA Police and the Judiciary targeted and arrested a number of activists and journalists across Iran.
On 6 November, following complaints made by the management and the security offices of a major factory in Arak, the provincial capital of Markazi Province, FATA Police began investigating “false information” and “disruption of morale” through the spread of anonymous messages containing grievances online via a group chat. The Head of FATA Police for Markazi Province commented that the administrators of these groups had created the conditions for worker’s grievances to spread through the channel and that “[FATA’s] expert analysis had shown that a number of of people added to the group were taking advantage of the spread of grievance messages to further their own agenda.”
On the same day, the news website, Kurdpa, which provides news updates from Iran’s Kurdish areas reported that the administrators of four Telegram channels were summoned and threatened by intelligence services at the city of Baneh in Kurdistan Province for reporting the death of Mohammad Khodaei Kani-Seif.
According to reports Kani-Seif was shot and killed by Iranian security forces on 4 November while he was moving goods across Iran’s border. Moving goods from out of the country across Iran’s border regions (Persian: کولبری) is common among Iran’s Kurdish population for low-pay often due to a lack of employment opportunities, this activity is deemed illegal, causing regular clashes with security forces who deploy disproportionate violence and force against them, resulting in a high death toll for this group. Kurdpa reported that an informed source had revealed the names of these Telegram channels as “Baneh News,” “Baneh 24,” “Baneh Tarhim,” and “Baneh Rudaw”.
On 13 November, Nader Sadeghian, a Turkish civil rights activist who was sentenced to four years imprisonment earlier, received a fine of 60,000 IRR from Tabriz’s criminal court for “Inciting public violence using online communication platforms.” The next day on 14 November, Shahin Barzgar from the city of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, received a fine for 400,000 IRR and 91 days imprisonment for the same charge.
Also on 14 November, Rahim Arjmandi from the city of Yasuj in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province was sentenced to 23 months suspended prison sentence from the city’s Revolutionary Court. According to the Court Order his sentence is in connection with “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, the Supreme Leader, anti-government activity, and disrupting public opinion through online spaces.”
On 15 November, Gholam Hossein (Sina) Gholandri, a journalist from the city of Kuhdasht, Lorestan Province, was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment and a two year ban from journalism for publishing a report on the honour killing of the 14 year old Mobina Souri on the “Lorestan Radio Telegram” channel, which Gholandri is the administrator of. His channel has also been seized according to reports.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) on 2 December, on 29 September, Abulfazl Pourhosseingholi from East Azerbaijan Province, was arrested by security forces at his place of work and was transferred to an unknown location. The next day on 28 September Arash Shadmand also from East Azerbaijan Province was arrested by security forces at his residence. The arrests of these two individuals was in relation to a Telegram news channel; a source revealed to HRANA that the two arrests were made following the publication of a report of five students being raped and that earlier the Friday Prayer Imam for the city of Kaleybar, East Azerbaijan Province, had “called for the administrators of the Telegram channel to be investigated for blaphemy.”
On 11 December the Prosecutor for Mazandaran Province ordered the seizure of the personal Instagram page of Dr Ali Ramzani-Pachi’s, an environmental activist. Dr Ramzani-Pachi is a history and culture researcher who in recent years has been posting about deforestation, water sources, and soil in Mazanda Province on his personal Instagram account. The majority of his activism over the past year has been related to the construction of a new dam in Savadkouh in Mazandaran to transfer water to Semnan Province, which has been the subject of concern for a number of environmental activists in Iran.
On the same day, Mahtab Gholizadeh, a journalist who spoke against the ban on women entering sport stadiums was charged with “promoting anti-government propaganda”, “promoting corruption through efforts to enter sport stadiums.” Her other charges also include “colluding against national security” specifically through attempts to “enter the football stadium” during the Iran-Syria World Cup qualifier match. A number of women who secured tickets for the match were unable to enter Tehran’s Azadi stadium on the day, where Gholizadeh was reporting from. She captured videos of women being prevented from entering the stadium and posted them on Instagram and Twitter and later also posted a video criticising the ban on women entering sport stadiums.
Publication of “Immoral Content” Online
Also during this quarter, a number of Iranians were prosecuted in relation to the publication of “immortal content.” This is a charge constantly used by Iranian authorities and FATA against a wide range of activities, which often includes clamping down on alternative lifestyles and identities in contradiction with the Islamic Republic’s ideology.
On 20 October an individual was arrested in Yazd Province for publishing videos of dance tutorials on Instagram. According to FATA Police for Yaz Province, this amounted to “immoral content” and the individual had also attempted to hold “dance classes.” According to Article 14 of the Computer Crimes Law (2009) anyone using computer devices to publish, distribute, exchange, create, store or keep “immoral” content with the intention to sell, will be sentenced to between 91 days to years imprisonment and/or a financial fine between 50,000 to 40,000 IRR.
On 21 October the Head of FATA Police for Yazd Province reported that the administrator of a WhatsApp group was being prosecuted which allegedly attempted to publish “immoral” photos and videos.
On 6 November, Kambiz Rostamnia, the Police Chief for Marivan, in an interview with the Iranian national news outlet, IRNA, stated that nine people were arrested in connection with “matchmaking” Instagram pages on charges of “attempting to spread moral corruption online.”
Also on 6 November, the Head of FATA Police for East Azerbaijan Province reported that one person was arrested in the city of Tabriz for publishing an “anti-social video” online. On 7 December FATA Police for Golestan Province reported one person was arrested on a similar charge for publishing a video on Instagram.
12 December proved to be a busy day for FATA Police. Following the publication of “modelling photos” online via Instagram at a historical site in Semnan Province, the Prosecutor for the province issued an order for the photographer, publisher, contractor, and the guards for the site and other people involved in the photoshoot to be identified and summoned to court. The investigation is based on charges of “illegal entry, production and publication of immoral photos at a historical site, and damaging public opinion and order.”
On the other side of the country in the city of Malayer in Hamedan Province, one person was arrested and had their mobile phone seized for creating a matchmaking Telegram channel which had 13,000 followers, according to FATA Police. The channel has been deemed “against social norms” and has been referred to the Judiciary for investigation.
Online Betting, Gambling, and Fortune Telling
On 16 October, the Head of FATA Police for Khuzestan Province reported the arrests of the administrators of a Telegram channel for promoting online betting and gambling.
On 19 October, a FATA Police official for Kohgeluyeh and Boyerahmad Province reported that an Instagram page offering fortune telling was identified.
FATA Police for Tehran Province reported that on 6 November a team of seven people managing 13 Instagram accounts with a combined two million followers were arrested for promoting online gambling and betting.
In Khuzestan Province, FATA Police summoned a “young girl” who offered fortune telling and prayer writing on Instagram.
On 4 December in the run up to Tehran Derby (football match between Tehran’s two major clubs, Esteghlal and Perspolis), a betting site setup for the event was identified and their administrators were arrested and had their electronic devices seized.
On 29 December one person was arrested and had their electronic equipment seized in Ardabil Province for running an online gambling platform.
