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December 11, 2003

Iran's ICT minister confronted. How does Ahmad Motamedi, Iran's minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), explain the huge number of websites censored in his country? "Sometimes mistakes happen," he said.

Some mistake. In a rare interview, Mr Motamedi claimed that officially just 240 sites were banned in Iran and that no-one was punished for writing anti-government messages online.

He had a harder time explaining the arrest of Sina Motallebi, the journalist and blogger held earlier this year.

For other reports of President Khatami's press conference click here, here and here.

We questioned Dr Motamedi over his claim that only 240 websites were blocked - he insisted this was the correct number, and that all political sites were available - saying only that "if they are political and mixing in some contempts against our religions and our prophets, we cut them".

We asked him to officially publish the list of the sites his government admits to banning - the minister said "it has been published for the private sector, and insisted, "all the press know what it is".

We asked him what punishments would be handed out to people who published material the government didn't approve of - Dr Motamedi insisited that his government only blocks the sites within Iran, and that "there is no punishment".

So, obviously, we had to ask about Sina Motallebi - the journalist and blogger arrested in Iran earlier this year.

Mr Motamedi first insisted he knew nothing of the story, and then said, "He has been arrested but not in relation to weblogs." The minister offered an example - "If somebody is a weblog writer, and kills somebody - should they not be arrested?".

We had one final question. Earlier this year, the government said it was a 'technical mistake' when some websites became unavailable - we asked the minister how such a mistake could happen. He pointed out that "technical problems always happen", but that he didn't know why they happened so often. He concluded - "sometimes mistakes happen" - and was ushered away.

Transcript:

Ahmed Reda: Many reports are saying 15,000 sites are blocked.

A: Most of the sites are cut. They have themselves cut it - Most of the sites that are porno and unethical are cut. We have not given any names for that - we have given them the message you cut them yourself. So anti-ethics and pornos, they have themselves cut it.

From these 240 these are sites against religion. They are contempting Prophet Mohammed and other religious principles of the people. What do you call them, political, we do not know what names you have for this, but for us it is anti-religion.

Some of them they have not criticized them in charge and authorities.

Ahmed: But I'm not speaking about the nature of the sites, I'm speaking about the number.

They have themselves cut this. Only we have given the names of these 240. But for the sites by their names it indicates that they are anti-ethical and anti-religious. They have themselves cut it.

Ahmed: How many political sites are you banning?

A: What is your definition of political?

Ahmed: Criticizing the political system and the political organisations, the executive branch?

A: From our point of view all political sites are free. No news agency has reported, for example BBC, CNN - most of them are political and they have criticised the government, but we have not closed them - they are not prohibited. But if they are political and mixing in some contempts against our religions and our prophets, we cut them.

Cara Swift: Will you officially publish the list of the 240 sites that are banned?

A: Actually it has been published for the private sector. Most of them are private, and all the press know what it is.

Aaron Scullion: What punishments can people expect if they publish websites you do not agree with?

A: Only we cut the sites - from only access from Iran. There is no punishment defined for them.

Aaron: There were reports a few months ago that one weblogger was arrested.

A: No one has been arrested. If you have any name we can follow it. We give some loans to them and promote these weblogs and sites when they are good - especially when they are in Persian.

David Steven: I have the name of the weblogger that it was claimed was arrested. Sina Motallebi.

A: Actually, it is just now that I am hearing this from you. This is not substantial and it is not in relation to weblogs. What news agency?

David: The Colombia Journalism Review. Associated Press.

A: She has been arrested but not in relation to weblogs. If somebody is a weblog writer, and kills somebody - should they not be arrested?

Aaron: Previously, some web sites in Iran were taken off line and blocked - when the government was told of this, it said it was a mistake. How could such a mistake happen?

A: Technical problems always happen. But I don't know how this is being increased. Sometimes mistakes happen.
Aaron Scullion @ December 11, 2003 10:33 PM | TrackBack

Comments (16)
Great job guys! But these people are so cheeky and don't care about their reputation or anything.
Mehdi @ December 11, 2003 11:23 PM
I am just wonderin how people talk about filtering while we can see all the websites from Tehran, Iran. or probably the only problem is hoder websites? is his visitors's number decreasing? if yes so spreading the rumors is not the soloution.
Rambod @ December 11, 2003 11:31 PM
Motamedi's answers are like a seven yaers old child's whose being asked if he just teased his little sister whose standing beside him crying and saying he did, a totally fake denial.
Takin @ December 11, 2003 11:39 PM
@Rambod: "I am just wonderin how people talk about filtering while we can see all the websites from Tehran, Iran"
You are the lucky guy. As I have heard a very small number of ISPs haven't yet fully implemented the screening software. Just try IDC-based ISPs and you know what we mean.

Nersi @ December 11, 2003 11:39 PM
Thanks for confronting the minister. I don't live in Iran, but I hear from my relatives in Iran that the face access to a number of political sites outside Iran.
mehdi @ December 11, 2003 11:42 PM
Thanks for confronting the minister. I don't live in Iran, but I hear from my relatives in Iran that they face problems accessing a number of political sites located outside Iran.
mehdi @ December 11, 2003 11:42 PM
do not spread out rumors, there is no filtering in Iran.
Abulghasem @ December 12, 2003 12:36 AM
sina motallebi is a MAN& not a woman :)
mahdi @ December 12, 2003 12:56 AM
sina motallebi is a MAN& not a woman :)
mahdi @ December 12, 2003 12:56 AM
Well, since there is no masculin-feminin issue in Persian language, referring to Sina as "she" could not have been minister's fault but rather the translator's. If the translator for this interview has been the same guy as president's interview, such a mistake in translation is not surprising at all!
By the way, great job! The best way to put pressure on these folks is embarrass them in international arena of their actions in Iran.
Well, at least let's hope this strategy will be effective.
Mohammad @ December 12, 2003 02:10 AM
Great job dudes!
I hope that you have had the same impression that I have and that's the minieter has been freaked out during the interview.
Did he really say she to Sina? seems he really didn't know anything about it.
Mehrdad @ December 12, 2003 02:23 AM
I wanted to thank 'Aaron' , 'David' and 'Cara' for your promise and great job. Some points about the interviews:
1- It seemed for me after seeing all inteviews and their immediate reaction during it, 'Khatami' does not know about those so-called 15000 political websites/weblogs , about the numbers and contents, but 'Motamedi' and even the translator in Khatami's interview does know the details and trying to playing around with the questions. (We could notice that when the second questioner asked two things, first about Egypt and then about 'net censorship'altogether, he translated the first one, then mentioned 'but the second part' is again about explaining more about your relationship with Egypt!! which was obviously playing with the question, but the Journalist himself understood that 'internet question' was not asked and again asked the 'translator' to translate it)
2- In general, I think that this iterview was helpful, since as Hossien Derakhshan says now we can force on more publicizing the formal sites - 240 ones - in any other ways that is possible, and to discuss about if they are porno or anti-ethical ones.
3- About 'Sina Mottallebi', my pessimitic guess is that (since 'he' and 'she' both have the same word in Persian)the translator was using 'she' instead of 'he' in purpose to mention that Sina is not a known person in Iran as somebody who was arrested. I've never seen first name 'Sina' been used for females in Persian. Who was the translator by the way? From right-wing hardliners?
4- Do you know any links that we can see interview with 'Motamedi'?

Anyway that was a good job.
Kamran @ December 12, 2003 04:14 AM
Great! Thank you, Ahmed, Cara, David and Aaron. I agree with Takin, Motamedi's words can't mke sense, somewhere he tells that he doesn't know Sina, and somewhere else he says that Sina was not arrested in relation to his weblog! And let me tell that before this, also some politically neutral sites, for example Gooya News, or Irane Emrooz was filtered, but because of strong pressure on the ITC ministry they are no more filtered! That's a great victory for us! Again I thank you dudes...
Hamid @ December 12, 2003 09:25 AM
Thanks for all the kind words. I'm afraid the interview with Motamedi was off camera, so you can't watch it.. shame.
Aaron @ December 12, 2003 10:27 AM
Thank you all very much

Reading Motamedi's answers made me laugh after a long time of depression,honest.

It was a great job done by you and Hoder of course.
Masoud @ December 12, 2003 02:31 PM
all of them are big LIARS.

iranian @ December 12, 2003 05:05 PM


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