In February 2020, the Supreme Council for Cyberspace (SCC), Iran’s top internet policymaking body, began dedicated meetings to set five-year targets for the expansion of the National Information Network (NIN), the country’s localized internet architecture. The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) reported that the mobile internet penetration rate was 100.19 percent as of March 2021, while the fixed broadband penetration rate was 12.61 percent during the final quarter of the previous Iranian year. The majority of Iran’s population rely on mobile internet for connectivity. 1Īccording to the ICT Ministry’s 2019 report, 240,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cables have been installed across the country. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimated internet penetration at approximately 85 percent in 2019. Internet penetration, bandwidth, and speeds have increased markedly in recent years due to heavy government investment in information and communication technologies (ICTs).
In December 2020, Ruhollah Zam, journalist and founder and administrator of a popular antigovernment channel on the Telegram platform, was executed by hanging after being found guilty of “corruption on earth” (see C3).In January 2021, the country’s top internet policymaking body ratified a new resolution calling for the establishment of a legal framework-in collaboration with a number of ministries and the judiciary-to address “fake news” in online spaces (see C2).The latest version of a bill designed to restrict online content and tighten regulations on foreign and domestic online platforms returned to the parliamentary agenda in June 2021, though it had yet to pass at the end of the coverage period (see B1, B3, and C6).The messaging application Signal was blocked in January 2021, and the audio discussion app Clubhouse was blocked in April 2021 (see A3 and B1). Access to foreign social media and communication platforms was further restricted during the coverage period.Iranian authorities ordered localized internet shutdowns during protests in Khuzestan Province in July 2020 and in Sistan and Baluchestan Province in February 2021 (see A3).These institutions, including the security forces and the judiciary, play a major role in the suppression of dissent and restrictions on civil liberties. Ultimate power rests in the hands of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the unelected institutions under his control. Iran holds elections regularly, but they fall short of democratic standards due in part to the influence of the hard-line Guardian Council, an unelected body that disqualifies all candidates it deems insufficiently loyal to the clerical establishment. After the reporting period, in June 2021, Ebrahim Raisi was elected to the presidency Raisi, who was previously head of the judiciary, has been criticized for his alleged role in the mass executions of political prisons in 1988. During the coverage period, Ruhollah Zam, journalist and founder and administrator of the Amad News channel on the Telegram messaging platform, was executed by hanging after being found guilty of “corruption on earth.” Ahead of the presidential election in June 2021, a number of journalists from online outlets received warnings or were summoned by intelligence officials due to their reporting on election-related events. As in past years, bloggers, online journalists, activists, and citizens were arrested and prosecuted for content they posted online. State-aligned cyber operations continued to spread disinformation and manipulate the online space both domestically and abroad. The government ordered localized internet shutdowns amid antigovernment protests and continued to block access to independent news sites as well as a number of social media and communication platforms.
Internet freedom remained highly restricted in Iran during the coverage period. Emergency Assistance and Thematic Programs.Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism.
Government Accountability & Transparency.
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