The Iranian government began censoring SMS discussions of its plummeting local currency on 10 September, following an exchange rate fall of almost eight per cent against the dollar. Iran’s mobile networks explicitly blocked messages containing the word ‘dollar’, as well as the local term for foreign money.
In recent weeks, Iran has clamped down on cultural institutions, including officially revoking the license of 27-year old publishing house Cheshmeh Publications, and shutting down the country’s independently-run House of Cinema. Here is a look at Iran’s latest restrictions on culture from Small Media, a London-based organisation that develops technology to promote the flow of information in closed societies.
A journalist and government critic has been sentenced to two years in prison in Azerbaijan. Anar Bayramli, a correspondent for two Iranian media outlets, was sentenced for a drug possession charge following a controversial court case which was said to include contradictory evidence. Bayramli was arrested in February and charged with possession of four grams of heroin. The journalist was previously summoned by police on a number of occasions to disclose his political affiliation. The sentencing comes at a time when tensions between Azerbaijan and neighbouring Iran are particularly heightened.
Iran’s cyber police will carry out a new crackdown on software used to circumvent the country’s strict censorship media according to reports by local news agencies. The head of the specialised police unit examining security issues, claimed approximately 20-30% of Iranians currently use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to access content restricted by the regime. Kamal Hadianfar announced the country is forming a new commission to block the technology, which is illegal for citizens. The country has been working on creating a “national internet”, and has discouraged the usage of foreign communication services, such as Gmail and Yahoo.