PRESS WATCHDOG PROTESTS TO BAN ON PRIVATE INTERNET SERVICES
PARIS 16 Nov. (IPS) In a letter to the Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF- Reporters Without Borders) protested Friday at the decision taken by the Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council (SCCR) to forbid private companies from providing Internet services.
"Last October, hundreds of satellite television dishes were confiscated. Now, it's internet that is the target of the authorities. It is clear that the authorities want to cut Iranians from the rest of the world", declared Mr. Robert Ménard, the Secretary General of the Paris-based press watchdog.
In its last meeting, the SCCR that is chaired by the embattled Iranian President had decided to ban all private internet service providers. The decision, urged by the Iranian Islamic regime’s lamed and fundamentalist leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’I came after the authorities had declared before satellite dishes and closed down the flourishing internet cafes.
"We ask you, as the president of this Supreme Council, to go back on this decision", Mr. Menard said in his statement.
"Providing an Internet service should be the monopoly of the state ", the daily Aftab-e-Yazd reported on its 8 November issue. But many members of the Parliament and lawmakers said the council had no legitimacy to issue such a ruling", RSF observed.
Since 25 October 2001, 1,000 satellites television dishes at least have been confiscated and 70 persons have been arrested because they owned a satellite dish or because they installed them. On 10 November, about 50 shops were closed and a hundred people arrested because they were selling CD and other computing and satellite equipment judged as " indecent ".
"These measures have been taken to forbid access to foreign channels, especially channels from the opposition which are based in the United States. These have broadcast images of the demonstrations which followed recent football matches", the press organisation said, adding: "This was said to have exacerbated the violence of the supporters". ENDS RSF PROTEST INTERNAT BAN 161101
Source:
Reporters sans frontières