The news and analysis website Didar News has once again been blocked and unlawfully removed from public access. The outlet had previously been filtered two years ago by order of the Committee for Determining Instances of Criminal Content.
In a statement on its Telegram channel, Didar News announced that, as of noon on Tuesday, October 14, 2024, visitors to the outlet’s official website have been met with a message stating, “Access to this site is not possible.”
According to Hosein Mohammadian, the editor-in-chief of Didar News, the website was taken offline without any prior notification. Officials from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance claimed to be unaware of the situation, the website’s hosting provider denied any technical issues, and no judicial notice or official communication has been sent to the outlet’s management. Furthermore, no authority has taken responsibility for the blocking.
Ali Mojtahedzadeh, a lawyer representing Didar News, reacted to the incident on his X account, stating: “On what legal basis has this outlet been filtered and taken offline without prior notice? Which authority ordered the block? We still do not know the allegations that led to this action. Why have these allegations not been disclosed? Why, after 48 hours, do these questions remain unanswered?”
In a similar incident two years ago, Didar News was blocked for approximately one month by the Committee for Determining Instances of Criminal Content.
The blocking of news and analysis websites in Iran has become a recurring pattern to suppress press freedom and freedom of expression. However, since the 2022 nationwide protests, a new trend has emerged where news websites are filtered without prior notice or adherence to legal procedures, with government and security institutions refusing to provide accountability to media managers.