Iran: EU Leaders Issue Call to End Iranian Censorship

Ambassadors from three European Union nations along with EU foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, protested Iran’s tightening grip on free expression and promised to respond if need be, according to a document seen by the AFP.

“The EU calls on the Iranian authorities to stop the jamming of satellite broadcasting and Internet censorship and to put an end to this electronic interference immediately,” said the text prepared for a Monday meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. ”The EU is determined to pursue these issues and to act with a view to put an end to this unacceptable situation.” The statement follows a recent request by Britain, France and Germany that the EU take measures to curb Iran’s technological capacity to stifle internal dissent by enforcing tighter limits on the sale of technology.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that elements of the Iranian opposition have eagerly embraced the U.S. Treasury’s decision to lift sanctions on technology companies that export Internet services. Still, many democracy activists are calling for discarding all bans on trade in online services in the hopes of circumventing the government’s attempts at censorship.