US accuses Iran of 'near total information blockade' over protests

The US has accused Iran of attempting to carry out a "near total information blockade" as part of a severe crackdown against opposition supporters in Tehran.

The comments from state department spokesman Philip Crowley came as thousands of pro- and anti-government protestors took to the streets of Tehran to mark the 31st anniversary of Islamic Revolution yesterday.

Opposition groups claim security forces fired tear gas upon crowds and attacked individuals on Thursday while president Mahmoud Ahmedinajad delivered an address at the official celebrations in the capital.

The Iranian government has continually been criticised for the heavy-handed way in which opposition rallies have been policed with reports of hundreds of people dying or being detained since unrest broke out last summer in the wake of Mr Ahmedinajad's controversial re-election.

Commenting on the most recent disturbance, Mr Crowley criticised Tehran over its alleged attempts to silence critics, declaring: "Iran has attempted a near total information blockade.

"It is an unprecedented and overwhelming step using force to intimidate their own people and to restrict the freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression.

"It is clear that the Iranian government fears its own people."

He added the US had evidence of phone networks being taken down, text messages blocked, satellite televisions jammed and the internet "throttled" in an attempt to deal with the opposition protests.

The US search engine giant Google declared on Wednesday Iranian users of its Gmail were suffering difficulties in accessing their emails.
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