Democratic values smashed by Washington; Iran says
Democratic values smashed by Washington; Iran says

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Saturday that Washington has no respect for democratic principles and values, condemning sanctions on Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a statement on Friday blacklisting […]

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Saturday that Washington has no respect for democratic principles and values, condemning sanctions on Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a statement on Friday blacklisting Azari Jahromi for what it called his role in “widescale internet censorship,” a reference to a nationwide internet shutdown for security reasons during riots against petrol price hike.

Mousavi said, “The current administration of the United States attaches no value to democratic principles and values, transparency and human rights and also freedom of [access to] internet.”

He added that the U.S. administration exerts pressure on social networks, especially Twitter, to suppress voices.

“I’m not the only member of club of sanctioned persons (Based on Trump’s fairytales). Before me, Iran ICT startups, Developers, Cancer patients and EB children were there. I’ll continue advocating access to Internet & I won’t let US to prohibit Iran development,” Azari Jahromi tweeted on Friday.

The sanctions on Azari Jahromi came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to impose even more sanctions on Iran over the country’s handling of the recent unrests.

  • source : tehrantimes, irannews