Iran International:

Maryam Moqaddam

Tehran is turning to quieter, more insidious forms of repression: cutting citizens off from their mobile phone numbers without notice or pressuring them to shut down their often popular social-media accounts.

Women and men who defy the government—by appearing unveiled or sharing critical content—have in recent weeks discovered their SIM cards abruptly disabled, locking them out of banking, public services and even judicial notices.

The tactic signals a shift toward low-visibility punishment that avoids the spectacle and political cost of arrests.

The shutdowns come without warning.

Donya Rad, a script supervisor who became an early symbol of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement after posting an unveiled photo in a Tehran teahouse in 2022, said this month that her line had been cut under what officials described as “special measures.”

Rad, who was arrested shortly after that photo went viral, drew fresh attention last month after sharing an image of herself in shorts on a Tehran street.

Shortly afterward, her SIM was blocked. And it remains so weeks later.

“Because I can’t make online purchases—no SIM card, no verification codes—I think I should go on a diet,” she posted on X on Sunday.

“I’ve already had to ask (my sister) Dina to buy my theater tickets, top up my internet, book hotels. I’m going to bed so I don’t end up texting her to order food for me too,” she joked.

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