In a new attempt to censor the protests that have already completed ten days, The Government of Iran decided to block the Starlink website, the satellite network of Elon Musk and Space X that, according to its creator, was going to start providing internet to Iranians after the blockade imposed by the authorities amid protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.
This was announced on Monday by the Iran International media, which revealed that in the last few hours the government had blocked the official Starlink website, although at the moment it is unknown if they will completely block the satellite network service.
(Also read: Iran: protests over the death of a young man that cause unprecedented social mobilization)
And it is that last Friday, the South African billionaire Elon Musk had left a brief message on Twitter from which it emerged that he was activating his Starlink satellite network to provide internet in Iran, after authorization from the US government.
“Activating Starlink…” was the brief message shared by the CEO of Tesla, who responded to a tweet from the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in which he reported that on Friday the Administration led by Joe Biden issued a license authorizing internet companies to provide their services in Iran.
The measure was taken in response to internet cuts ordered by Tehran to stop protests against violence against women and the mandatory veil.
“With this measure, we will help the Iranian people not to be isolated in the dark. It is a step to significantly support Iranians who demand that their fundamental rights be respected,” Blinken said in a statement.
(Also: Iran: at least 50 dead in the repression of protests that are already a week old)
Specifically, the United States Department of the Treasury, which maintains strong sanctions against Iran, issued a general license with which “technology companies will be able to provide more digital services to Iranians, from access to the cloud to tools to improve their security and online privacy.
However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the issuance of a license for US providers to provide internet service in Iran is a violation of that country’s sovereignty that will not go unanswered, according to Iran International this Monday.
According to Iranian media, In addition to blocking the Starlink website, the government also blocked access to other portals such as Linkedin and has used satellite interference so that citizens do not access the Iran International channel.
Internet monitor NetBlocks on Sunday cited “continuous blackouts” and “widespread restrictions of internet platforms” after WhatsApp, Instagram and Skype were blocked.
They had previously banned the use of Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and Telegram.
(You can read: Universities in Tehran suspend face-to-face classes amid protests)
This is how the protests go
Meanwhile, Iranian protesters defied court warnings and took to the streets for the tenth night in a row on Sunday to protest the death of young Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
Echoing a warning from President Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the Judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, insisted on Sunday on “the need for decisive action without mercy” against the main instigators of the “riots”, according to the judicial website Mizan Online. .
At least 41 people have been killed since the protests began, mostly demonstrators but also members of the security forces, according to official figures. Other sources indicate that the balance is higher.
(Keep reading: Iran: Woman in ‘Morality Police’ Custody Dies)
In the biggest protests in nearly three years in Iran, security forces have fired live ammunition and buckshot, according to human rights groups, as protesters hurled stones, burned police vehicles and torched public buildings.
The group Human Rights in Iran (IHR) said late Sunday that at least 57 people had been killed, though it noted that internet outages made it difficult to confirm the victims of the protests, which have spread to several cities.
Hundreds of demonstrators and journalists have been arrested during the protests that began after the announcement of Amini’s death on September 16.
Amini, of Kurdish origin, was arrested three days earlier for allegedly violating rules requiring the wearing of a veil that fully covers the hair and banning ripped pants and shiny clothing.
*With information from AFP and EFE
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