Overview

Eisa Zarepour is the U.S.-designated minister of communications of Iran. On October 6, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Zarepour as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for his role in suppressing dissent throughout Iran by engaging in censorship that prohibits or limits freedom of expression.“Designating Iran’s Morality Police and Seven Officials for Human Rights Abuses in Iran,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 22, 2022, https://www.state.gov/designating-irans-morality-police-and-seven-officials-for-human-rights-abuses-in-iran.

Zarepour reportedly earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Razi University, a master’s degree in computer engineering from Sharif University of Technology, and a doctoral degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia.Fateme Mokhtari, “Who is Isa Zarepour, the proposed minister of communications of the 13th government,” Tehran Times, August 21, 2021, https://www.zoomit.ir/tech-iran/373611-who-is-eisa-zarepour.

In 2005, Zarepour became the head of the Information Technology and Digital Media Development Center of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Zarepour continued to advance throughout the ministry, and a few years later in 2009, he was elected to exemplary director. Within that role, he launched discussions of the monitoring and support mechanisms regarding Internet sites. In 2018, he was appointed as the head of the Judiciary’s Statistics and Information Technology Center.Fateme Mokhtari, “Who is Isa Zarepour, the proposed minister of communications of the 13th government,” Tehran Times, August 21, 2021, https://www.zoomit.ir/tech-iran/373611-who-is-eisa-zarepour. A few years later, under the government of President Ebrahim Raisi, Zarepour was appointed minister of information and communications technology on August 25, 2021.Eisa Zarepour,” IFMAT, https://www.ifmat.org/10/06/eisa-zarepour.

In September 2022, Iran’s military and governmental agencies joined in violently suppressing and censoring protests that erupted after the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in custody after being detained by Tehran’s morality police, the Guidance Patrol, earlier in the month. The Guidance Patrol sent Amini to a detention center to undergo re-education when they claimed she was not wearing a hijab properly. She died three days later. In response, protests erupted across the country against Iran’s theocratic rule. On September 22, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—an Iranian government agency tasked with defending the regime against internal and external threats—issued a statement of support for Iranian police in combating the protests and accused protesters of sedition. At least 201 protesters were killed since the protests began after confrontations with Iranian security forces, but information has been limited due to disrupted and limited Internet access throughout the country.Arsalan Shahla, “Iran Launches Artillery Against Militants in Northern Iraq,” Bloomberg, September 24, 2022, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-24/iran-launches-artillery-against-militants-in-northern-iraq; “Exclusive: IRGC Commanders’ Families Placed in Tehran ‘Safe House,” Iran Wire, September 26, 2022, https://iranwire.com/en/iran/107958-exclusive-irgc-commanders-families-placed-in-tehran-safe-house; “IRGC will not hesitate to target origin of any anti-Iran operation wherever it may be: General,” Press TV, September 27, 2022, https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/09/27/689915/IRGC-will-not-hesitate-target-origin-any-anti-Iran-operation-General; Caitlin McFall, “The Guardian Patrol sent Amini to a detention center to undergo re-education when they claimed she was not wearing a hijab properly. She died three days later.,” Fox News, September 24, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/world/protestors-clash-revolutionary-guard-northern-iran-torch-irgc-base-reports; “Iran’s Guards Break Their Silence, Warn Protesters,” Iran International, September 22, 2022, https://www.iranintl.com/en/202209229946; Parisa Hafezi, “Iranians keep up protests over Mahsa Amini death despite mounting fatalities,” Reuters, October 12, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranians-keep-up-protests-over-mahsa-amini-death-despite-growing-death-toll-2022-10-12.

Zarepour has directly endorsed the censorship of protestors and social media platforms in the hopes of slowing down the protests. He has also reiterated that limited Internet access and online censorship will continue for as long as protests persist. https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20221006.

Given Zarepour’s stance on limiting dissent, on October 6, 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Zarepour as an SDN for his role in engaging in censorship or other activities that prohibited or limited freedom of expression, assembly, or access to print or broadcast media.“Iran-related Designations and Designation Update; Non-Proliferation Designation Update; Burma-related Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, October 6, 2022, https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20221006. The European Union followed suit, and on October 17, Zarepour was added to the EU’s sanctions list for his role in shutting down internet access and prohibiting the free flow of information.“Iran: EU sanctions perpetrators of serious human rights violations,” Council of the European Union, October 17, 2022, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/10/17/iran-eu-sanctions-perpetrators-of-serious-human-rights-violations/.