Protests have been raging in Iran's capital Tehran for the last five weeks after thousands of Iranians took to the streets to demonstrate their outrage at the brutality of Iran's "morality police."
What's Going on in Iran
On Sept. 13, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, was arrested and allegedly killed by the Tehran "morality police," an organization that imposes a strict dress code on female citizens. Amini's death sparked the demonstrations spreading in key cities.
According to reports, many protesters and activists believe that she was killed while being held, and this is the general consensus. This is amid the state's claim that she died of a heart attack while in custody.
Large-scale protests are being held in Tehran and other places in the response. Many women have cut their hair short and burned their hijabs in public as a powerful act of protest against recent atrocities.
As reported by the BBC, most protests and campaigns are organized by people using social media, and if they are unable to connect, mobilization becomes much more difficult.
Government-Backed Internet Blackout
According to Wired, authorities have responded with a brutal crackdown in which it is estimated that over 230 Iranians have already been killed.
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Additionally, in an effort to hinder organization and conceal the scope of the protests, the government has implemented strict internet controls, blocking access to social media and messaging services as well as completely shutting down the internet for stretches of time and also slowing down the connection.
Internet users in Tehran report that access to social media sites like WhatsApp and Instagram is either completely or partially restricted. VPN services are also reported to be inaccessible due to government-backed barring.
The Iranian newsroom also mentioned that the government is very concerned about people using the Internet and social media to share information and images about protests, as this could potentially encourage a larger portion of the population to participate in public protests.
Repressive Regimes and Censorship
When it comes to dealing with protests and other forms of dissent, repressive regimes are highly predictable. They will use stringent rules and show of force to ensure that no more citizens join movements, as too many could bring them down.
This is exactly what the Iranian government is doing right now, with Internet blackouts and acts of violence during the peak of the Tehran protests. But, as it turns out, the regime carries out the same approach each time the country is embroiled in a scandal.
According to Amnesty International, at least 323 men, women, and children were killed by Iranian law enforcement during five days of nationwide protests in 2019. The deadly crackdown was preceded by the authorities blocking most people's access to the internet.
In the absence of online documentation, the state conducted violent operations and attempted to conceal evidence of atrocities from the public in order to avoid sanctions. A shutdown may result in the loss of an unknown amount of proof of criminal acts committed by the government.
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Written by John Lopez
