On Wednesday Iran’s Supreme Leader spent time organizing a governmental body in which he has substantial influence in, to oversee the Iranian internet. This crackdown on the internet does not come as a shock because for a long time now Iran has tried to use censors, block websites, and filter keywords. The article even mentioned that in 2010 the Revolutionary Guard set up a “cyber army”. As the article released, “Hundreds of internet users have been arrested and some even sentenced to death”. With the newly established Supreme Council of Virtual Space, the Supreme Leader decreed to “protect Iran from harm resulting from the increasing spread of information and communication technologies, particularly that of the global internet network and its important role in personal and social life”. This new crackdown does not seem out of character for Iran and comes after the Arab spring and would enable the government further control of information and communication in periods of political unrest.
This simply demonstrates the wide range of influence and power that Iran’s supreme leader possesses. After the most recent elections in Iran it is looking like Ahmadinejad and the how presidential office in the Iranian government is going to be dissolved. This would leave only the supreme leader and his puppets in charge of the country.
To read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17288785
-Kathleen Fultz
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