WHAT IS THE “PROTECTION PLAN FOR CYBERSPACE USERS’ RIGHTS” IN IRAN?

By Hasse-Nima Golkar

WHAT IS THE “PROTECTION PLAN FOR CYBERSPACE USERS’ RIGHTS” IN IRAN?

The draft “Bill on the protection of users’ rights and the application of basic services for cyberspace,” dated 17 July 2021, has been regulated in fourteen pages, including six chapters, thirty-seven articles with all related remarks concerning the enforcement of various laws, regulations, and instructions.  This plan was approved by the parliament of the ruling Shia Islamic State in Iran on July 28, 2021.

This project, formerly known as “Protecting Users’ Rights in Cyberspace and Organizing Social Media,” was presented in the tenth period of the “Islamic Consultative Assembly” [2016-2020] by the “Hope Fraction” [Omid Fraction] under the chairmanship of Mohammad Reza Aref. Among the main supporters of this “reformist and moderate” fraction was the influential politicians since the Shia Islamic regime takeover power in 1979: Mohammad Khatami and Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani [both former presidents, each for two four-year terms], Hassan Khomeini [Ayatollah Khomeini’s grandson] and Hassan Rouhani [“President” for eight years until yesterday, August 11, 2021].

A declaration by the Parliamentary Research Center on 29 July 2021 states that: “Armed forces’ control of cyberspace guarantees the security of IT communications infrastructure”. In this regard, it also needs to be mentioned that these measures would be taken by the “High Council of Cyberspace” decision in a commission composed of representatives of twenty government agencies and organizations. The most important of which are:

The “Supreme Council of Cyberspace” as Chairman,  the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps /IRGC,” the “General Staff of the Armed Forces,” the “Police forces,” the “Ministry of Intelligence,” the “Attorney General,” the “Ministry of Communications and Information Technology,” the “Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance,” the “Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade,” the “Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance,” the “Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting,” the “Islamic Development Organization,” the Committees on Culture, Industries, and Mines, National Security and Foreign Policy of “Islamic Consultative Assembly” as an Observer, and finally seven others of government and syndicate offices.

The basic purpose of this “pilot project” [maximum five years] is nothing but the regime’s horror of the social revolution of the working people in Iran. Successful implementation will enable the ruling regime to gain more accurate control over people’s access to the major international internet platforms than ever before. And also be able to completely block all internet connections from within the inside of the country and outside is a necessary and sensitive political situation, in order as before, to prevent the spread of the real news about the people’s protests and uprisings.

In this way, the regime will be able to suppress the demonstrations of the people and massacre the dissidents, away from the eyes of inside and international public opinions. Therefore, this fascist act must be strongly condemned by all the freedom-minded people in Iran and other parts of the World!

WE CONDEMN THE FASCIST INTERNET POLITICS IN IRAN

THE INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS IS STILL INTERRUPTED IN IRAN