Blocking of Wikipedia reported in Iran

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    Date: 
    6 August 2010

    According to news published in English and Persian on July 25, the Wikipedia free encyclopedia website was blocked in Iran and could not be accessed. Users tryng to acess the website are having this blockpage stating “By refering to the law concerning computer related misdeeds (crimes) access to this site is not available.”

    Sreeenshot of the block page.

    An investigation I conducted shows that on the morning of July 29th, the website Wikipedia was available within Iran, but the reported Persian website (balatarin.com) is blocked in Iran. This blockage of Balatarin is due to its position against the government and its “crucial role in the pro-democracy movement in Iran“, as it explains in its About page. As well as “many of the human rights abuses were publicized on Balatarin for the first time”. For this reason “Iranian government has in numerous occasions blamed Balatarin along with Facebook and Twitter as the “plotters” of the after election turmoil in Iran.”