Internet Pro or Censor Pro? Iran rolls out a new service

Key Points:

• Iranian nuclear engineer Farid was executed on charges of spying for Israel, accused of sharing sensitive organizational information and enabling external access to internal servers under Mossad instructions; rights groups report he confessed under duress and was initially sentenced to 10 years before a death sentence on retrial.
• Iran has recently intensified executions linked to its nuclear sector, including the secret hanging of Javad Naeimi and the execution of Rouzbeh Vadi, both accused of espionage for Israel amid allegations of torture and coerced confessions.
• The January 2024 protests in Iran led to a brutal crackdown, with security forces reportedly killing thousands, including minors like 14-year-old Amir-Mohammad Shahkarami, whose death involved a gunshot wound and was initially concealed by authorities through conflicting reports to his family.
• Mass burials of protest victims were conducted in secret in Mashhad, with over 400 bodies buried simultaneously due to severe gunshot injuries, as government officials ordered lethal suppression to instill fear and prevent further demonstrations.
• Iran continues to restrict communication via internet and phone blackouts, isolating the population amid ongoing protests and executions; Amnesty International warns of imminent executions of several men convicted on forced confessions related to anti-government demonstrations.