Reza Taghipour
- CEO of Communication Security Industries, National (1990 - 1996)
- CEO Shiraz Electronic Industries, Shiraz (Fars Province) (1996 - 2002)
- CEO of Communication Industries, National (2002 - 2007)
- Deputy Minister in Space Organisation, National (2007 - Aug 2009)
- Minister of Information and Communications Technology , National (Aug 2009 - Dec 2012)
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in the suppression of protests through censorship, eavesdropping and disruption of communication systems (Aug 2009 - Dec 2012) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Communications and Information Technology
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of expression, Right to privacy
- Description
Reza Taghipour, as Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has played a key role in suppressing peaceful protests after the 2009 presidential election through control, surveillance, censorship and blocking the Internet and disruption of the mobile phone networks and jamming broadcasting satellite networks. In addition to preventing free access to information, Taghipour has also endangered the health of citizens who have been exposed to these jamming waves targeting Persian-language networks abroad. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, under the leadership of Reza Taghipour, cut off phone and SMS services a day before the election for 40 days. social networks were blocked, and satellite broadcast networks were disrupted.
- Sources
Iran Environment Organization: Satellite Jamming is Carcinogenic, BBC Farsi, 1 October, 2014
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TAGHIPOUR-PA.pdf
They also shut down the SMS system, Asr-e No, 12 June, 2009
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TAGHIPOUR-8.pdf
SMS system back after 40 days, Radio Farda, 1 August, 2009
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in the suppression of protests through censorship, eavesdropping and disruption of communication systems (Aug 2009 - Dec 2012) read more
- Member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, National (Feb 2012 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Participate in the control, censorship, filtering and harassment of cyberspace users (Feb 2012 - present) read more
- Institution
- Supreme Council of Cyberspace
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of expression, Right to privacy
- Description
Reza Taghipour, as a member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, has been involved in the controlling, censoring, and blocking of the internet, and prosecuting cyberspace users. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace is the highest body that is responsible for monitoring, policy and decision making in cyberspace and is primarily responsible for controlling, censoring, filtering and prosecuting cyberspace users in Iran.
During Taghipour's membership, the June 2017 resolution of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace on social media (Telegram, WhatsApp…) emphasised on the storage and processing of Iranian users’ inside the country and the requires the ISPs to provide The officials of the Islamic Republic with full access to such data.
- Sources
The text of the resolution "Policies and measures to organize social media”, June 2017
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/shora-6.pdf
Human Rights Violator’s Case: Supreme Council of Cyberspace, Justice for Iran, 17 December , 2017
https://justice4iran.org/persian/human-rights-violators-bank/supreme-council-of-cyberspace/
- Human Rights Violation: Participate in the control, censorship, filtering and harassment of cyberspace users (Feb 2012 - present) read more
- Member of Tehran City Council, Tehran (Tehran Province) (May 2012 - present)
The European Union placed Reza Taghipour on the human rights sanctions list for his role in widespread and gross violations of the rights of Iranian citizens in a decision dated 25 April, 2012. According to the decision, Taghipour will be barred from entering the union and all his possible assets will be confiscated in Europe. According to the EU statement, "Internet censorship and control" as well as abuse of "citizens personal data, conversations and telephone communication of Iranian citizens" are among the reasons for the sanctioning of Reza Taghipour.
In April 2012, the US Treasury Department also placed Reza Taghipour on its list of human rights sanctions, for his role in "censoring and controlling Internet activity" and his responsibility for "disrupting mobile and SMS communication lines" and "disrupting network broadcasting." Accordingly, Reza Taghipour's potential assets in the United States will be frozen and he will be barred from entering the country.