Iran's Rouhani criticises his government's ban of Telegram app

Iran's Rouhani criticises his government's ban of Telegram app
Iran's reformist president made remarks suggesting those "at the highest level" in Iran imposed the ban on the hugely popular messaging app.
2 min read
Rouhani appears below a portrait of Ayatollah Khamenei on the anniversary of Iran's revolution [Getty]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has criticised the blocking of the popular Telegram messaging app in the Islamic Republic, suggesting those "at the highest level" in the country shut off access.

Rouhani, a moderate cleric and reformer figure within Iran's Shia theocracy, did not elaborate in his online comments made late on Friday, but they seem aimed at redirecting domestic and international anger over the blocking of the app, believed to be used by half of Iran's 80 million people.

The app played a key role in spreading the protest movement across the country in December and January.

Authorities temporarily blocked the app to slow the momentum of the demonstrations, but Iran's judiciary on Monday ordered internet service providers to permanently block access to the app. Since then, users largely haven't been able to access it.

In a post on photo-sharing app Instagram - one of the only social networks not blocked in Iran - Rouhani wrote: "No social network or messenger were blocked 'by this government' and won't be blocked."

"If at the highest level of the system a decision has been made to restrict or block the people's communications, the real owners of this country, which are the people, should be aware of this," Rouhani added.

The semi-official ISNA news agency also reported his remarks.

Tehran's prosecutor also ordered Telegram be blocked in a way that would not allow users to bypass the restrictions using a virtual private network or other means. Computer-savvy Iranians routinely use such VPNs to get around online restrictions in the country to use Facebook, Twitter and other prohibited sites.

Telegram allows users to send text messages, pictures and video over the internet. The service touts itself as having end-to-end encryption, and allows users to set their messages to "self-destruct" after a certain period, making it a valuable tool for activists and popular among those concerned about their privacy.

The head of Iran's parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said last month Telegram would be blocked. Iranian authorities have been trying to convince the country to use indigenously made messaging apps instead, though activists worry they will likely be monitored by the government.

Boroujerdi also said the decision to block the app was a response to what he called Telegram's destructive role in anti-government protests that began in late December. The protests saw at least 25 people killed and nearly 5,000 reportedly arrested.