Iran Tightens Its Grip on Internet Censorship

And it is by citing the oldest excuse in the censorship manual: to protect national security.

The Jurist reports that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered the implementation of a law that requires Internet service providers to keep records of users' activity for at least three months.

The Iranian regime insists that the monitoring will be conducted under court order and "in the interest of national security." It also said they just are after personal data thieves.

Iranian opposition is up in arms denouncing the regime's
anti-democratic stronghold on power. (EPA photo)

After what has taken place in Iran in the last three months, the regime's explanations are just not credible. This blog is full of posts about the outrageous efforts by the Ahmadinejad government to restrict access to Internet information as an attempt to crush the most intense pro-democracy demonstrations in a generation.

More from The Jurist:

Iran has been experiencing political unrest since Ahmadenijad won the country's disputed June 12 election. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch reported that some arrested protesters were beaten, deprived of sleep and threatened with torture in an effort to force false confessions.

Also this month, opposition leaders called for the release of those detained for their alleged involvement in the protests. Human rights groups have viewed the arrests as political repression, saying that Iranian forces are using the protests to "engage in what appears to be a major purge of reform-oriented individuals."

After the pro-democracy demonstration and the violent crackdown on protesters and opposition members, Iran became the world's worst jailer of journalists and bloggers.

And that was also done, of course, "in the interest of national security."