Jan 15, 2010, 14:54 GMT
Tehran - The use of SMS and e-mail for organizing or coordinating protests against the government would from now on be punishable, Iran's police chief warned Friday.
ISNA news agency quoted General Esmaiel Ahmadi-Moqaddam as saying that those who organize protests through SMS or e-mails should know that everything is traceable and under control, adding offenders would face prosecution and punishment.
Widespread protests started immediately after last June's presidential election which was overshadowed by massive fraud charges and non-acknowledgement of Ahmadinejad's re-election by the opposition.
The call for protests are usually made through SMS and e-mails and the anonymous organizers inform the public about time and venue of the actions.
They also recommend what anti-proxy software they could use to get access to websites filtered by the government.
The police chief said that even anti-proxy software could not hinder police and the intelligence service from monitoring the messages.
He warned the crime of those provoking people to go to protest demonstrations was graver than those attending them.
Due to the ban on foreign media from directly covering the protests and unrests - offenders risk losing their official accreditation - and as state media usually refrain from reporting about the demonstrations, SMS and e-mails by anonymous sources served them as part of the news source.
During the latest protests last month, at least eight people were killed and 300 arrested. The opposition claimed that more than 900 were arrested.
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