WANA (Jun 30) – With the approval of a new bill by the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, the use of unlicensed electronic internet communication tools, such as Starlink, has been declared prohibited.

 

In addition to banning the use of unlicensed electronic internet communication tools like Starlink, members of Parliament approved that any intelligence or espionage activity and operational actions for the “Zionist regime” or hostile governments are considered instances of “corruption on earth” (efsad fel-arz).

 

During the public session held on Tuesday of last week (23 June), Parliament approved the general and specific provisions of a bill titled “Increasing the Punishment for Espionage and Collaborators with the Israeli Regime and Hostile States Against National Security and Interests,” consisting of 9 articles. The provisions of the bill are as follows:

 

“Article 1 – Any intelligence, espionage activity, or operational action for the Zionist regime or hostile governments, including the United States of America or other regimes and hostile groups or any of their affiliated agents, against the security of the country or national interests, is considered corruption on earth and shall be subject to the punishment stated in the opening clause of Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code, passed on 21 April 2013.

 

Article 2 – Individuals who, knowingly and deliberately, engage in any security, military, economic, financial, technological action or any direct or indirect assistance in order to confirm, support, reinforce, or legitimize the Zionist regime, shall be sentenced to the punishment of corruption on earth and shall be subject to the penalty stated in the opening clause of Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code.

 

Article 3 – Any cooperation or assistance, knowingly and deliberately, in the following cases with the intent of collaboration with the Zionist regime or hostile states or other regimes and hostile groups shall be subject to the punishment of corruption on earth as stated in the opening clause of Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code:

 

a) Manufacture, assembly, provision, transfer, any type of transaction, transport, storage, importation into the country, utilization, or any form of use of firearms, cold weapons, chemical, microbial, nuclear or unconventional weapons, whether traditional or modern, in any manner that has the capability to kill, destroy, or cause terror, or their parts and components.

 

b) Manufacture, assembly, provision, transfer, any type of transaction, transport, storage, importation into the country, utilization, or any form of use of micro-drones, drones, or intelligent robots or their parts and components for military, espionage, sabotage, assassination, or disruptive purposes in the country’s vital systems and infrastructure.

 

c) Any act of cyber warfare, cyberattacks, disruption of communication networks, information systems or critical infrastructure of the country, sabotage of facilities or public or private places, or any assistance in such activities.

 

d) Receiving any amount of money or assets such as real estate, vehicles, gold, currency, or any type of cryptocurrency from spies or individuals affiliated with intelligence services, with knowledge of their affiliations, regardless of whether the recipient has taken effective action or not.

 

Article 4 – Any action or collaboration in political, cultural, media, and propaganda activities, creating and reflecting artificial damages, or the preparation or dissemination of false news or any type of content that generally causes public fear and panic, incites division, or undermines national security — if not deemed as corruption on earth — shall be punishable, at the discretion of the court, by third-degree discretionary imprisonment and permanent dismissal from public and governmental services.

 

Additionally, sending videos and images to hostile or foreign networks which, if published, would typically weaken public morale, incite division, or damage national security shall be punishable by fifth-degree discretionary imprisonment and permanent dismissal from public and governmental services. Illegal demonstrations and gatherings during wartime are punishable by fourth-degree discretionary imprisonment.

 

Article 5 – The use, transportation, purchase, sale, importation, or provision of unlicensed electronic internet communication tools such as Starlink is prohibited and shall be punished with sixth-degree discretionary imprisonment and confiscation of the equipment.

 

Provision, production, distribution, and importation of more than ten of such tools or engaging in the aforementioned actions with the intent of opposing the regime shall result in fourth-degree discretionary imprisonment.

 

Article 6 – If the discretionary offenses mentioned in this law are committed during wartime or under security or military conditions, as determined by the Supreme National Security Council, the punishment of the offender shall be increased by up to three degrees. The punishment specified in this law, under the provisions of this article, shall apply regardless of the nature of the involved country, regime, or group, whether hostile or non-hostile.

 

Article 7 – Crimes mentioned in this law shall be handled at all stages of the judicial process on a priority basis and in special branches of the Islamic Revolutionary Court as designated by the head of the judiciary.

 

Article 8 – The provisions of the first authorization (Estijaze) of the head of the judiciary regarding economic crimes, granted by the Supreme Leader on 24 July 2018, shall also apply to the crimes covered by this law from the date of its approval.

 

Article 9 – This law shall be enforceable from the date of its approval. The punishments prescribed in this law shall also apply to crimes that began or had their preliminary steps taken before the law’s approval, provided that the perpetrators or their accomplices do not present themselves and their collaborators to the competent authorities within three days of the law’s approval.”