81% of Iranian internet users bypass censorship with VPNs - Parliament
A recent survey by the Iranian Parliament Research Center indicates that the vast majority of Iranians (81%) rely on VPNs to bypass internet censorship.
A recent survey by the Iranian Parliament Research Center indicates that the vast majority of Iranians (81%) rely on VPNs to bypass internet censorship.
The survey, based on telephone interviews with 1,100 participants in December 2024, indicates that 49.4% of VPN users rely on free services, while 30.3% opt for paid alternatives. Only 18.9% of respondents reported not using a VPN.
The survey also shed light on public sentiment regarding potential changes to internet restrictions under President Masoud Pezeshkian.
A significant 24.8% of participants expressed "no hope at all" for the lifting of filtering and social restrictions. An additional26.7% indicated"low" hope. In contrast, 20.5% expressed "high" hope, and 11.2% "very high" hope. 16.8% either did not answer or responded"don't know."
Lifting internet filtering was one of Pezeshkian’s main campaign promises in the presidential election in 2024.
He had said, "I would put my neck on the line to solve the filtering issue."
A video showcasing the interactive installation at Tajrish station established by the Tehran municipality and run by the Daughters of the Revolution group aired on state television Tuesday.
The group, known for promoting an Islamic lifestyle and championing the Islamic veil is headed by Bahareh Jangravi, who said the project was a means of spreading the importance of wearing the hijab, in the wake of a national mass rebellion against the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code.
The video shows women whose attire violates hijab rules weeping in the room. They are then offered headscarves by metro officials and encouraged to comply with the theocracy's strict regulations.
Concerns have also been raised on social media platforms about the authenticity of the video, with some suggesting that the women depicted either paid actors or women acting under duress.
Jangravi explained that her group's name, "Daughters of the Revolution," was chosen in response to the "Girls of Enghelab (Revolution) Street" movement, a wave of symbolic protests against mandatory hijab inspired by activist Vida Movahed's 2017 public act of defiance.
The interactive installation also features images of slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and other figures revered by the Islamic Republic.
They include the slain commander of the IRGC foreign operations arm Qassem Soleimani and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The two figures revered by Iran's military-clerical establishment were killed by the United States and Israel, respectively.
The exhibit is a scaled model of the shrine of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia Muslim Imam. Through VR goggles, visitors can explore a lifelike virtual rendering of the actual shrine and its surroundings in Karbala, Iraq.
The initiative has drawn widespread criticism, with many viewing the room as an inappropriate use of public space to enforce the government's ideological agenda.
Critics question the municipality's involvement, arguing it oversteps its mandate and diverts resources from pressing urban issues.
Similar controversies have surrounded previous actions by the municipality, such as the deployment of "hijab guards" in metro stations and the burial of "unknown martyrs" at universities and recreational sites, along with the construction of mosques in parks.
The controversy highlights the ongoing struggle over hijab enforcement in Iran since the nationwide Woman Life Freedom protest movement following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police in September 2022.
A large number of women in Tehran and other major cities continue to defy the mandatory hijab, a trend that began with the 2022 protests.
The widespread non-compliance has strained police enforcement efforts, prompting the government to explore alternative methods, including a controversial new bill that emphasizes fines, deprivation of public services and the so-called cultural initiatives over direct confrontation.
“He had a performance at a café in western Tehran in Janatabad when plainclothes officers and the police arrived, arrested him and his composer, and detained several people there,” one source said, requesting to remain anonymous for security reasons.
A video obtained by Iran International shows the moment the officers storm the venue and detain the underground rapper. A masked man can be seen in the footage, who the source said was one of those who detained Eycin.
“They came with a van and took everyone away. The venue was also sealed off,” the source added, "Eycin had scheduled several performances in cafes, on a tour, in Qeshm in recent weeks."
The fans were later released but two sources told Iran International that Eycin and his composer remained in detention.
A source said that both Eysin and Sohrabi appeared in court on Friday morning, however the charges against them remain unknown.
“Lately, rappers have been organizing a lot of underground performances through various methods. It seems like they want to crack down before it spreads,” the source said.
International human rights organizations have condemned Iran's suppression of artistic expression in recent years.
In the aftermath of Iran's nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, at least two rappers - Toomaj Salehi and Saman Yasin - were sentenced to death in connection with their music. Following an international outcry, their death sentences were revoked.
