Supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi run in the streets during protests in Tehran.
Iranian citizens angry about the presidential election have used Twitter, websites and blogs to spread the word about what is happening in their country. Now the government is trying to muzzle those voices.
The Revolutionary Guard, an elite military force answering to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Iranian websites and bloggers must remove any materials that "create tension" - or else face legal action, according to news reports.
If that wasn't draconian enough, the government on Tuesday barred foreign media from leaving their offices to report on the demonstrations in the streets of Tehran.
Citizen journalists in Iran have used Twitter and websites to spread information about the anti-government protests.
Meanwhile, the group Reporters Without Borders said the government was arresting journalists and censoring newspapers in an effort to squelch criticism that the election was rigged.
“Independent sources of news and information find it very hard to make their voice heard now in Iran because of the censorship,” the group said in a statement. “The authorities are tightening their grip on all news media and means of communication that could be used to dispute Ahmadinejad reelection ‘victory’. They are doing everything possible to limit coverage of the consequences of the election fraud.”
Photo by Getty Images
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