18:30GMT—1:30PM/EST
Washington, 6 January (WashingtonTV)—Amnesty International said on Wednesday that it fears that a ban by the Iranian government on contact between Iranian citizens with 60 organizations, including human rights groups, will further isolate the population.
On Monday, the deputy intelligence minister for foreign affairs said that it was an offense to communicate with the groups, which were accused of having played a role in inciting unrest following June’s disputed presidential election.
Among the groups blacklisted were Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy, as well as media outlets such as the BBC and the US-government funded Voice of America [VOA].
“The move leaves anyone making such contacts at risk of prosecution and appears designed to hide from the world the true scale of what is happening in Iran and to obstruct reporting on human rights violations,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
The deputy intelligence minister, who was not named, also stated that it is illegal for political groups and parties to receive any financial and non-financial aid from abroad.
The official also called on Iranian citizens to avoid “unconventional contacts” with embassies, foreign nationals or centers linked to the banned organizations, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Amnesty International also condemned the recent arrests of journalists and human rights defenders in Iran, who it said have been instrumental in providing information on the “gross right violations occurring in Iran”.
Both the ban on contact with the 60 international groups and the arrests are a breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party, said the human rights group.
On Wednesday, the pro-reform website, Rahesabz, said that Iran has arrested more than 180 people in recent days, following anti-government protests on 27 December.
Sources: Amnesty International website, IRIB News, Rahesabz website
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