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Networking sites back in action for Iranian vote

Friday, June 14, 2013

The social networking websites which helped mobilise anti-regime protests in 2009 are buzzing again this time urging Iranians to be sure to vote today when Iran elects a new president.

By Mohammad Davari, Tehran

Todays election is the first since 2009 when the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked massive anti-regime street protests after his opponents alleged widescale voting fraud.

The organisation of the demonstrations was aided through use of text messages and popular social networks, including Twitter and Facebook, the domain of tech-savvy pro-reform voters.

The protests and the pro-reform campaign they supported, the so-called Green Movement, were eventually crushed by the security forces, with dozens of people killed and many more imprisoned.

As part of the crackdown on the reform movement, the government blocked access for Iranian Internet users to social networking and tens of thousands of other websites. It also banned the use of software to bypass those restrictions.

The rout of the reformists and the placing under house arrest of their leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi who claimed Ahmadinejad had been fraudulently re-elected left pro-reform supporters disillusioned, with many vowing to never vote again.

But their hopes were rekindled a week ago when the sole reformist standing in this years election, Mohammad Reza Aref, performed well in live televised debates.

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Networking sites back in action for Iranian vote