Iran’s internet recovers to 2% after more than 200 hours of shutdown
After an outage lasting more than 200 hours amid protests and a corresponding crackdown, the non-governmental organization NetBlocks, which monitors internet connectivity, announced on Saturday that it had detected an “extremely limited” return of network activity in Iran.
In a post published on its social media platforms, the organization stated: “Measurements indicate a very slight increase in internet connectivity in Iran this morning after more than 200 hours.”
It added: “Overall internet access remains at around 2% of normal levels, with no indications of any significant improvement.”
Human rights organizations have indicated that “the internet shutdown, which began on January 8, is intended to conceal the true scale of the repression.”
According to the Norway-based non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights, at least 3,428 demonstrators have been killed since protests erupted in late December.
The demonstrations began in Iran on December 28 with a strike by Tehran’s bazaar merchants in response to worsening living conditions. They later evolved into a nationwide protest movement, during which political slogans were raised, including calls for the overthrow of the ruling system that has held power since 1979.
