Iran blocks Wikileaks

Site condemns their 'Berlin Wall moment'

By John Oates • Get more from this author

Posted in Government, 17th July 2009 11:36 GMT

Free whitepaper – PowerEdge M1000e, M600 and M605 spec sheet

Iran has blocked access to whistleblowers' site WikiLeaks, ahead of today's expected protests.

The site complains that it carries very little content about Iran and much of that shows the machinations of US intelligence-funded efforts to destabilise the country.

A statement from WikiLeaks seems to have some sympathy with Iran.

The information site said:

A middle-sized developing country, such as Iran, faced with powerful, wealthy adversaries may argue that it needs to censor "enemy media" in order to maintain itself as an independent nation. And when funding of some exiled Iranian dissident groups is hostile and covert, it paves the way for the censorship of all dissident groups.
Yet whatever legitimate concerns Iran may have with foreign destabilisation campaigns, its blocking of WikiLeaks cannot be justified.

Wikileaks accused the Iranian government of blocking the site not to stop foreign influence, but in order to stop Iranians getting their message out to the world.

The site said: "In censorship terms, the blocking of WikiLeaks is Iran's Berlin wall moment; it is not an attempt to keep enemies out, rather, it is an attempt to lock Iranians in, and must be condemned."

Protests were expected today over last month's disputed elections. ®

Free whitepaper – Dell/EMC CX4 and Dell PowerEdge blades