The news and analysis website Didar News has been "blocked"

Hassan Mohammadian, Editor-in-Chief: We still have no information about the reason for this action.

Didar News: It was from around noon today, Tuesday, corresponding to the twenty-second of Mehr (October 14th), that the audience of the news and analysis website Didar News, upon referring to the official address of this media outlet, encountered a message titled "Access to this site is not possible." Didar's follow-ups with competent authorities, ranging from the technical support team to the Ministry of Guidance, to find out the reason for this problem were met with these institutions expressing lack of information.

As these follow-ups continued, we finally learned that the official page of the news and analysis website Didar News has been blocked and taken out of reach of its audience, and there is no information available about the decision-making body responsible for it.

This is despite the fact that this news website had previously faced a similar situation in February 2024 (Bahman 1402) for more than a month and had been taken out of reach of its audience.

In this regard, Hassan Mohammadian, the Editor-in-Chief of the news and analysis website Didar News, in an interview, while confirming this news, stated: After the site became inaccessible today at noon, we first contacted one of the officials of the Ministry of Guidance, who, in response to the situation that occurred, expressed a lack of information. Also, the technical team of the site's supporting company, in response to a question about the problem that arose, deemed it unrelated to their own company and considered the continuation of Didar News's activity to be technically free of any problem from their respective company.

He added: "No official notice or message has been sent to us so far regarding the situation that has arisen, and we are unaware of the responsible authority for this matter and the dimensions of the issue. In a situation where the continuation of independent and free media activity, within the professional missions of the media field, faces all kinds of restrictions more than ever before, such a situation is regrettable and seriously threatens the continued existence of these media outlets."

This media activist also emphasized: "The occurrence of such a situation in a government that itself, with various slogans aimed at lifting filtering and societal restrictions, managed at a historical juncture, with the unpretentious efforts of various media outlets, including Didar News, and the diligent activity of media activists, elites, and sincere thinkers of the country, to finally win the people's vote and step into Pasteur [Presidential Office], is regrettable and will undoubtedly not have a suitable outcome in the political sphere and among the country's public opinion, especially the President's support base."

The Editor-in-Chief of the news and analysis website Didar News reminded: "It is regrettable that independent media outlets, which coincidentally operate with an official license from the country's media supervisory body (the Ministry of Guidance), have no legal backing or supporter and, just like that, we witness an independent, multi-voiced media outlet that has always remained steadfast in its commitment to pursuing its professional mission, honesty with the audience, and seeking the national interests of the country, despite all the hardships of professional work, being faced with the blocking of its official and legal channel, without the slightest prior or subsequent notice."

Mohammadian finally stated: "We are currently pursuing the reason for the occurrence of this restriction in our area of activity, and we demand that the competent authorities, including the Ministry of Guidance, clarify this situation and inform the Didar team, which consists of a number of professional and devoted colleagues. It is clear that the least right of an independent media outlet that walks the difficult path of fulfilling its professional mission is to be informed of the reason for facing this action."