Media Terrorism and Intimidation in Cyberspace
Once again, upon opening social media, we were immediately confronted with new threats from officials and elements associated with the Islamic Republic on their television screens. This is a new method of threatening and intimidating society by these individuals to ensure their threats reach all opponents within Iran, lest anyone again harbor the thought of taking to the streets for freedom and to obtain their and their compatriots’ basic human rights.
Media as a Weapon; Justification for Absolute Silence
On April 11, Abdollahi stated on the Noor Network:
“Look, the first thing a government must do is take away the media tools and weaponry from the enemy. Instagram was the enemy’s weapon; it had ceased to be a mere media tool. Telegram had become a weapon. We have managed to turn off the weaponry for now; this machine gun has been silenced. After all, we do not know in which direction the country’s conditions are heading; we must prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario.”
These remarks clearly demonstrate the reason for depriving 90 million people of communication with the world and stripping them of the right to freedom of expression and media freedom. Now, for more than 1,000 hours, Iran has been hidden under a veil of digital silence, while the Islamic Republic regime speaks of “cyber authority”—an authority that should, in reality, be called “Digital Apartheid” and “security desperation.”
Ideological Hostage-Taking of the Internet and Global Isolation
While public opinion and the digital economy are collapsing under the weight of this unprecedented isolation, the sovereign narratives used to justify this blackout reveal devastating contradictions. The government spokesperson ties this situation to “war conditions,” the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technology (according to the Shargh newspaper) calls it “repelling cyber-attacks,” but ultimately, recent confessions regarding the granting of internet access on the condition of “reproducing the government narrative” strip away the mask from an ideological hostage-taking and a gross violation of freedom of choice and expression.
An anatomy of the officials’ statements, alongside an analysis of Iran’s sociological and security realities, shows that the 45-day internet blackout is not a “defensive measure,” but a combination of “social suppression” and the official inauguration of “Media Apartheid.”
On April 12, 2026, Ali Hakim-Javadi, the head of the Information Technology Guild Organization spoke regarding the selective connection of certain businesses. More importantly, there was the shocking confession of government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani on March 9, 2026 (19 Esfand 1404), where she stated that unrestricted internet is provided for those who “can further amplify the voice of the Islamic Republic.”
These statements prove that the internet blackout has nothing to do with external attacks. These confessions show that the ruling regime is creating a “Digital Apartheid.” You only have the right to connect to the free world if you are a megaphone for government propaganda. Relying on the strategy of “darkening” and using the “Kill Switch” serves as a cover for gross human rights violations by a government that fears its own people most. The primary goal of this blocking is to stifle the voice of civil society and monopolize the narrative.
Crimes in the Dark; Torture and Forced Confession of Ehsan Hosseinipour
Shocking narratives, such as the harrowing details of the torture of “Ehsan Hosseinipour,” one of the detainees of the January 2026 uprising, clearly expose the reason for utilizing the “Kill Switch.” The case of 19-year-old Ehsan Hosseinipour tells of alarming dimensions of gross violations of civil rights and human rights.
Ehsan Hosseinipour Hesarlou is one of the defendants in a case formed in connection with the nationwide protests of January 2026. He, along with two other defendants, Matin Ahmadi and Erfan Amiri, has been prosecuted on charges including participation in murder, setting fire to the Seyyed al-Shohada Mosque in Pakdasht, and acting against internal security. This case has been processed in the Tehran Revolutionary Court, and its sessions were held under conditions where reports indicate the absence of effective defense and serious restrictions on the judicial process.
This young man has been severely tortured. According to informed sources, to extract a confession, officers pressured him by putting a gun in his mouth to force him to accept responsibility for the incident. Amir Raisian, a lawyer, pointed out the contradictions in the case, stating that the time of Ehsan’s arrest was prior to the occurrence of the fire, and an analysis of mobile phone data also shows he was not present at the scene at the time of the incident. Raisian had previously written about this case:
“The manner and speed of the case’s progress, the extremely heavy charges, the television coverage, the very young age of the defendants (Ehsan is 18 and the other two are 17), and the respectable yet weak and uninformed families of the defendants—all of this indicates the system’s serious intent to issue a death sentence.”
Finger on the Trigger Against the People: The True Meaning of “Street Presence” in Ruling Literature
If we pay attention to Abedini’s statements on the News Channel on April 8 (19 Farvardin), the goal of this digital silence becomes clearer. In his remarks on this network, he said:
“The serious need is for the people to be in the streets and the armed forces in the field. The most important issue is that for the Islamic Republic of Iran, the people remain on the scene and the armed forces remain with their fingers on the trigger.”
Of course, everyone knows from experience that when regime elements speak of the presence of “people” in the streets, they mean the presence of repressive forces. Evidence of this is the indiscriminate arrests that continue to occur:
- On April 12 (23 Farvardin), Javan Online, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced that the country’s law enforcement command reported the arrest of 50 citizens across 16 provinces for “communicating with foreign media and sending videos and images.”
- On April 12 (23 Farvardin), Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that since the beginning of the recent conflict, more than 60 security cases have been formed in East Azerbaijan province alone, 10 of which relate to espionage charges.
- On April 12 (23 Farvardin), Tasnim News Agency announced the arrest of a 38-year-old man on charges of communicating with foreign Persian-language media and republishing their content in cyberspace. The forced confessions of this individual have been released.
These cases could be continued indefinitely.
The Judiciary; Accelerating Death Sentences and Property Confiscation
Finally, we remind international and human rights communities of the words of Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, the Chief Justice of the Islamic Republic, who told his First Deputy on April 7 (18 Farvardin):
“Our sentences, Mr. Khalili, must be issued more. Both in relation to property confiscation and in relation to issuing death sentences—really speed these up.”
He had also explicitly stated in the Supreme Judicial Council meeting on February 18, 2024 (29 Bahman 1402), following the Mahsa uprising:
“Espionage, intelligence cooperation with foreigners, and helping hostile media are examples of ‘Corruption on Earth’ (Efsad-fel-Arz) and can carry the death penalty.”
This “can” not only turned into a definitive sentence after the January 2026 uprising, but his First Deputy was even criticized for why death sentences are issued infrequently and late.
Legal Analysis: Systematic Violation of International Covenants
The recent actions of the Islamic Republic are a clear manifestation of the violation of numerous articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which the Iranian government is committed to implementing:
- Violation of Article 19 (Right to Freedom of Expression and Access to Information): The implementation of “Digital Apartheid” and the use of the “Internet Kill Switch” to suppress dissenting voices is not a defensive measure, but a direct violation of the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas.
- Violation of Articles 7 and 14 (Prohibition of Torture and Right to a Fair Trial): The brutal torture of “Ehsan Hosseinipour” and the threats of rape and murder to extract forced confessions are absolute violations of the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment. Furthermore, holding trials without defense counsel and under conditions of digital silence completely eliminates the right to a fair trial.
- Violation of Article 6 (Right to Life): The issuance and implementation of death sentences based on confessions under torture and in non-transparent judicial processes constitute “arbitrary deprivation of life” and stand in absolute contradiction to international standards.
- Crimes Against Humanity: Since these attacks (communication cuts, indiscriminate arrests, and executions) are organized in a “systematic” and “widespread” manner against a civilian population, they can be prosecuted as crimes against humanity under international law.
Call for Immediate Action; Human Rights: Shell or Reality?
These remarks are clear examples of state killings under the cover of digital silence and constitute crimes against humanity. Legal and human rights laws have provided the necessary tools for international and human rights communities to prevent such crimes. Is there a will to stop this systematic slaughter, or has human rights merely become an empty shell for these societies and organizations?
We await your practical actions as soon as possible. Do not add to the mountain of body bags.
