Iran blocks BBC Persian.com

Iranian authorities have blocked access to the BBC's Persian online news service, BBC Persian.com, the biggest internet site in the language.

BBC Persian.com receives around 30 million page impressions per month and is the most popular of the BBC's non-English language news websites, according to The Guardian. BBC Persian.com attracts about one-third of Iran's 7 million internet users.

"BBC Persian.com is a major source of news for Iranians, and has the biggest impact of any online site or newspaper in Persian. We are very concerned at this action and regret that it deprives a great number of ordinary Iranians of a trusted source of impartial and editorially independent news and information," said the BBC World Service director, Nigel Chapman.

We shall be making representations to the Iranian authorities with a view to reinstating access to our service for all Iranians.

The appetite among Iranians to know more about what's going on - both in Iran and abroad - has never been greater.

Online is an important part of life in modern Iran; there is a hugely active and engaged online community. The country is a world leader in terms of the proportion of the population engaged in 'blogging'. Many people in Iran have contacted us to tell us they believe the quality of information and debate in the country will be much poorer following this action.

January 29, 2006 | BY JONATHAN DUBE