[April 23, 2012]

UANI Statement on Obama Administration's Cellular and Internet Technology Sanctions

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, issued the following statement Monday regarding President Obama's announcement of new sanctions against those who have participated in or assisted the Iranian regime's use of cellular and internet technology to violate human rights:

We applaud President Obama for announcing these new sanctions. The Iranian regime has a long record of misusing cellular and internet technology to spy on, track, and eventually torture innocent Iranians. Even worse, companies such as South Africa's MTN (News - Alert) work in tandem with the regime, and provide it with the data, tools, and assistance for these human rights abuses. We call on the Obama Administration to fully enforce these sanctions, including against the companies that provide and help the regime with this technology.

According to a White House Fact Sheet released today, the sanctions apply to those who have "sold, leased, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, goods, services, or technlogy to Iran or Syria likely to be used to facilitate computer or network disruption, monitoring or tracking that could assist in or enable serious human rights abuses by or on behalf of the Government of Iran or the Government of Syria." This clearly covers companies like MTN, which has shut off text messaging at the behest of the regime and ordered the shutdown of Skype.

UANI launched its "Tech & Telecom Campaign" in 2011 to highlight the practices of international firms that provide the Iranian regime with sensitive technology and telecommunications equipment that are used to restrict and monitor internet and cellphone services. The regime uses this technology to facilitate its suppression of the citizens of Iran.

As part of the Tech and Telecom Campaign, UANI launched its MTN campaign in January. MTN Irancell is the second-largest mobile phone network operator in Iran, and the majority of its shares are owned by the Iranian regime, which has exploited MTN's network and technology to monitor and track the activities and communications of peaceful dissidents. MTN continues to defend its partnership with the Iranian regime.

Click here to learn more about UANI's Tech & Telecom Campaign.
Click here to read UANI's February 29 letter to MTN.
Click here to read UANI's January 25 letter to MTN.
Click here and here to see UANI's MTN advertisements.
Click here to send a message to MTN.

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