An Iranian official had earlier hinted that such measures might be taken for security reasons and that the loss of connectivity would make it difficult for people to organize protests and share information about the government’s ongoing crackdown on dissent. Iran has seen nationwide protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly wearing the obligatory Islamic headscarf too loosely. Protesters clashed with police and called for the downfall of the Islamic Republic itself, even as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. London-based rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday that security forces used batons, gunfire, tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters. It reported eight deaths linked to the riots, including four people killed by security forces. He said hundreds more have been injured. Iranian officials reported three deaths, blaming them on unnamed armed groups. WATCHES | At least 3 dead in protests over the death of Mahsa Amini:
At least 3 killed in Iranian protests over death of Mahsa Amini
Protests in Iran erupted 4 days ago after a young woman, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, died in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.
“Nearly Total Collapse of Internet Connectivity”
Witnesses in Iran, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, told The Associated Press late Wednesday that they could no longer access the Internet using mobile devices. “We are seeing Internet service, including mobile data, being blocked in Iran for the past two hours,” Doug Madori, director of Internet analytics at Kentik, Inc., a network intelligence firm, said late Wednesday. “This is most likely an action by the government given the current situation in the country,” he said. “I can confirm an almost complete breakdown of internet connectivity for mobile operators in Iran.” NetBlocks, a London-based group that monitors Internet access, earlier reported widespread outages on both Instagram and WhatsApp. Both are owned by Facebook parent Meta, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Protesters take to the streets of Tehran on Wednesday. (AFP/Getty Images) Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s Telecommunications Minister Isa Zarepour was quoted by state media as saying some restrictions might be imposed “due to security issues”, without elaborating. Iran already blocks Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and YouTube, even though top Iranian officials use public accounts on such platforms. Many Iranians circumvent the bans by using virtual private networks, known as VPNs, and proxies. In a separate development, several official websites, including those for the supreme leader, the president and the Central Bank, were at least temporarily taken down as hackers claimed to have launched a cyberattack on government agencies. Demonstrators hold pictures of Amini during a protest outside Iran’s consulate general in Istanbul on Wednesday. (Francisco Seco/The Associated Press) Hackers linked to the Anonymous movement said they targeted other Iranian state agencies, including state television. Central Bank spokesman Mostafa Qamarivafa denied the bank itself had been hacked, saying only that the website was “unreachable” due to an attack on a server hosting it, in statements carried by the official IRNA news agency. The site was later restored. Iran has been the target of several cyber attacks in recent years, many by hackers critical of its theocracy. Last year, a cyber-attack damaged petrol stations across the country, creating long queues of angry motorists unable to get subsidized fuel for days. The messages accompanying the attack appeared to refer to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Domestic, international condemnation
Amini’s death has sparked protests across the country. Police say she died of a heart attack and was not abused, but her family has disputed that, saying she had no previous heart problems and was not allowed to see her body. The UN human rights office says morality police have stepped up operations in recent months and resorted to more violent methods, including slapping women, beating them with batons and throwing them into police vehicles. US President Joe Biden, who also addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, expressed his support for the protesters, saying “we stand with the brave citizens and brave women of Iran, who are currently protesting to secure basic their rights”. WATCHES | Amini’s death sparked global protests:
The death of Iranian Mahsa Amini in custody has sparked global protests
The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by Iran’s morality police, has sparked protests in Iran and around the world. The United Nations is now asking Iran to launch an investigation into her death. The UK also issued a statement on Wednesday, calling for an investigation into Amini’s death and for Iran to “respect the right to peaceful assembly”. Raisi called for an inquiry into Amini’s death. Iranian officials have blamed the protests on unnamed foreign countries, which they say are trying to foment unrest. Iran has faced waves of protests in recent years, mainly over a long-running economic crisis exacerbated by Western sanctions linked to its nuclear program. WATCHES | Human rights lawyer calls for international action:
Ebrahim Raisi speaks at the UN amid mass protests and internet unrest in Iran
Human rights lawyer and director of the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Courts Project Gisou Nia joins the Rundown to discuss calls for the international community to take action as Iran cracks down on protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. The Biden administration and European allies have been working to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, in which Iran curbed its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, but talks have been deadlocked for months. In his speech at the United Nations, Raisi said Iran was committed to reviving the nuclear deal, but questioned whether it could trust America’s commitment to any deal. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. It began ramping up its nuclear activities after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 accord, and experts say it now likely has enough highly enriched uranium to make a bomb if it so chooses.
