The Danish Mission's partner says that since its creation in 2011, Iran's Cyber Police have made their influence felt, and not just against common cybercriminals engaged in hacking, fraud or identity theft. When the Cyber Police, known as the FTA, was established, Inspector Ahmadi Moghaddam made it clear that there was a broader aim for the unit - to combat 'anti-revolutionary' or 'dissident' groups.
This makes many people feel unsafe using the internet - so much so that the Human Rights Group reports that Iran arrested more journalists and bloggers than any other country in 2011. Christians who want to share their faith online or promote their activities have also become a target for the Cyber Police. Last month, police raided the home of Christian blogger Ali Reza Ebrahami in Gorgon.
The worst Cyber Police case to date is that of Sattar Beheshti, a 35-year-old factory worker who liked to blog. At times he was critical of the regime. Beheshti was arrested by the Cyber Police on November 4, 2012. A few days later he was dead. This has caused an outcry in parliament and elsewhere, not least because Beheshti was a complete unknown, an ordinary man who happened to have a blog. So far, seven people have been arrested and President Ahmadinejad has fired the head of the Cyber Police.
According to the Danish European Mission's partner, one clear message remains: Iranians must be very careful when using the internet. And the risk of being arrested makes people very stressed.
More than an estimated 65 percent of the population is under the age of 30, and they have not been part of the revolution. The young generation is particularly disillusioned with the regime, but also open to the good news of Jesus Christ. To meet this thirst for God's life-giving Word, Danish European Mission supports the printing and distribution of New Testaments to the Iranian people.
