Beware Of Friend Requests In Iran

According to some Iranian activists, authorities have taken to sending rights campaigners and intellectuals they suspect of engaging in anti-state activities a friend request to find out what information is being posted.

In Iran, logging onto Facebook isn’t just a fun way to pass the time and catch up with friends. It’s a crime – punishable by jail time.

Houshang Fanaian found that out the hard way. The 47-year-old Baha’I man was awarded one more year in prison for his session on the social networking site.

He had previously been sentenced for acting against national security and “insulting the country’s supreme leader” because of his religious activism, according to Radio Free Europe.

Fanaian’s sentencing may be a rarity, but his case and others indicate that Iranian authorities are keeping a closer eye on Iranians’ Facebook activities.

According

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