“The order to block all channels on encrypted messaging service Telegram, that in recent days incited the population to violence and trouble, was transmitted by judicial officials to the telecoms ministry a long time ago, but unfortunately nothing was done,” said Abdolsamad Khoramabadi, according to local media.
“If it is proven that officials voluntarily refused to take the necessary measures to prevent the activities of trouble-makers and enemies, they must be punished,” added Khoramabadi, who is also deputy to Iran’s chief prosecutor.
That marked a reversal for President Hassan Rouhani, who has pushed for online restrictions to be lifted as part of his efforts to improve civil liberties.
On December 19, he told the country’s first conference on civil liberties: “We will not seek to filter social media. Our telecoms minister promises the people he will never touch the filtering button.”
At 36, Telecoms Minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi was the youngest-ever cabinet member when he was appointed in August, and has stated his opposition to internet controls.
They include bans on Facebook and Twitter, even though all the country’s top officials, including the office of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, regularly tweet.
Instagram has been reinstated since the unrest calmed this week, but Jahromi said Wednesday that Telegram could only return if it blocked “terrorist” content.
