The Iranian Regime is Jamming Kurdish Satellite Channels
According to reports received by the Kurdistan Media website, the Iranian regime has been jamming the signals of the Tishk TV, a Kurdish satellite television, across the eastern Kurdistan.
The signal jamming of Kurdish satellite televisions takes places on the eve of the Kurdish New Year, Newroz. The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and other Kurdish parties have encouraged the people of Kurdistan to hold Newroz celebrations as a symbol of their struggle against the Iranian regime.
The Iranian regimes has always been fearful of a well-informed nation. Consequently, the Iranian regime has long used signal jamming and other techniques to disrupt the free flow of information and transparency. Shutting down the internet and monopolizing the Iranian broadcasting industry are additional example of regime’s desperate attempts to silence the Kurdish and the Iranian people who demand freedom and democracy.
These cruel practices, especially signal jamming, not only poses health concerns to the innocent Kurdish people, but it also aids the government in furthering their censorship and violation of fundamental human rights.
On 12 February 1995, the Islamic Majlis of the Iranian regime approved the “Law on Prohibiting the Use of Satellite Receivers”. Under this law, Iranian security forces have repeatedly attacked citizens’ homes and confiscated satellite receivers.
In addition, the Iranian Parliament may soon ratify the “Regulatory System for Online Services Bill” – more commonly referred to as the “User Protection Bill” – and adopt the legislation in mid-March by invoking a constitutional provision that permits the regular parliamentary process to be circumvented.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, the bill that was initially proposed in 2018, “grants the Government and army extensive control over infrastructure that connects Iran to the global internet. If enacted, the legislation will force technology companies to “follow state guidelines” or be subject to bandwidth throttling and blocking”.
