{"id":5220,"date":"2025-04-17T10:58:31","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T10:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/?p=5220"},"modified":"2026-02-10T08:23:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T08:23:44","slug":"investigated-report-isfahan-targeted-with-imsi-catchers-and-surveillance-cameras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/2025\/04\/17\/investigated-report-isfahan-targeted-with-imsi-catchers-and-surveillance-cameras\/","title":{"rendered":"A Battlefield Named Isfahan: Targeted Use of IMSI-Catchers and Surveillance Cameras to the Enforce Chastity and Hijab Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

Executive Summary<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Iran\u2019s Chastity and Hijab <\/span>law<\/span><\/a>\u2014and the social backlash it has provoked, particularly following the <\/span>death<\/span><\/a> of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini\u2014has prompted intensified government efforts to control women\u2019s clothing. Although the law was officially shelved, at least temporarily, following a decision by the Supreme National Security Council in December, evidence suggests that aspects of it are still being implemented on a limited and regional basis. In this context, the city of Isfahan has become a prominent example of deploying advanced surveillance technologies to identify and intimidate women who refuse to wear the compulsory hijab.<\/span><\/p>\n

This report details a multilayered system designed to suppress women\u2019s right to choose their dress through technological means. It further explains how tools such as <\/span>International Mobile Subscriber Identity-Catchers (IMSI-Catchers)<\/span><\/a>, contactless card readers, and surveillance cameras are used in Isfahan to systematically violate women's rights, especially the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, and non-discrimination.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reports from Isfahan present an alarming picture of the targeted and systematic use of surveillance technologies to control women\u2019s bodies and enforce mandatory hijab laws. The combined use of IMSI-Catchers, contactless card readers, and surveillance cameras\u2014along with access to government databases and the cooperation of telecom operators\u2014has created a powerful, multilayered tool to systematically violate women\u2019s rights through identification, tracking, and intimidation of those who choose voluntary dress.<\/span><\/p>\n

To investigate this operation in Isfahan, Filterwatch interviewed nearly twenty individuals who had received threatening text messages and those with access to sufficient evidence about the implementation of the plan due to their employment in institutions and companies involved in the operation. The identities of all these individuals will remain confidential to ensure their safety.<\/span><\/p>\n

Filterwatch\u2019s investigations reveal that the crackdown on women without mandatory hijab in Isfahan is being carried out through coordination among several law enforcement, security, judicial, and even cultural institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

This project not only constitutes a serious violation of fundamental women's rights\u2014including the right to privacy, the freedom to choose how to dress, and freedom from discrimination\u2014but also signals the normalization of using invasive surveillance tools for social engineering and the suppression of any civil disobedience.<\/span><\/p>\n

The transformation of everyday tools\u2014like mobile phones and ID cards\u2014into instruments of social control represents a dangerous and escalating trend that severely threatens individual freedoms. The Isfahan case is a serious warning about the intensification of digital authoritarianism and the use of technology as a weapon against citizens' rights, especially those of women, in Iran.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Multi-Layered Technology in Use<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This system is based on the combination of three technologies:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. International Mobile Subscriber Identity-Catchers (IMSI-Catchers):<\/b> These devices operate by impersonating telecom towers and can capture the unique IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) of mobile phones within their range. Our studies indicate that an area between 30 to 35 square kilometers in central Isfahan (especially tourist areas) is covered by these devices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How it works:<\/b> These devices impersonate legitimate telecom towers (BTS). Phones within range connect to the fake tower due to its stronger signal. Upon connection, the device requests and records the SIM card\u2019s unique IMSI. Some devices may also collect IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). This method exploits a security vulnerability in GSM networks, where the network is not required to authenticate itself to the mobile phone. More advanced devices may force phones to downgrade from 3G\/4G\/5G to 2G to facilitate the attack. Victims of this system may experience temporary disruptions in phone calls or internet access.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    The history of state control over Iran\u2019s telecommunications and systems like \u201c<\/span>SIAM<\/span><\/a>,\u201d a web program for remotely manipulating cellular connections, developed by the <\/span>Communications Regulatory Authority<\/span><\/a>, has the technical ability to force network downgrades from 3G\/4G\/5G to 2G, which is required for such attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    One woman who received such a threatening SMS told Filterwatch that minutes before receiving the message, she was on a WhatsApp call that was suddenly cut off and she lost access to the internet\u2014although she regained it shortly after receiving the message.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Another person who was uploading a photo on Instagram in the Naqsh-e Jahan Square (also known as the Imam Square) area told Filterwatch that they experienced a brief disruption, which ended after receiving a message from the \u201cPromotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice\u201d headquarters.<\/span><\/p>\n

    They told Filterwatch they didn\u2019t check whether their internet had dropped from 3G\/4G\/5G to 2G, but the momentary loss of internet could be a sign of such downgrading.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    These devices have been deployed in several forms:<\/span><\/p>\n