Iranians Regain Access to Facebook After Day-Long Ban

Iranians regained access to Facebook and Twitter following a one-day government-imposed ban last week, CNN News reports. Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated that he had not called for the ban, adding that he believes “in maximum freedom of expression.”

The Iranian Labor News Agency reported that the government had imposed the ban in order to stem political advances of opposition parties that are using the new social networking technology to spread their messages in advance of the June 12 presidential election.

Reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister and contender to President Ahmadinejad, created a Facebook page for his campaign. To date, his page has over 5,000 supporters.

Facebook responded to the Iranian sanctions, stating, “We are disappointed to learn of reports that users in Iran may not have access to Facebook, especially at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions.”