Access to Telegram, which the government has accused of being used to foment violence during the protests, was cut in the early afternoon, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency and other media. Telecoms Minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi had accused channels on Telegram of being “counter-revolutionary” and encouraging the “use of Molotov cocktails, armed uprising and social unrest”. Iranian authorities are blocking access to Telegram for the majority of Iranians after our public refusal to shut down https://t.co/9E4kXZYcP9 and other peacefully protesting channels. — Pavel Durov (@durov) December 31, 2017Sedaie Mardom was a replacement for Amadnews, one of the biggest opposition Telegram channels with more than 1.3 million followers, which was removed after Jahromi’s complaint on Saturday. A third night of unrest in Iran saw mass demonstrations across the country, two people killed and dozens arrested.

Source: The Express Tribune December 31, 2017 13:18 UTC