Page 38 - IRANRptApr20

Bilarsavur and Astara, the latter closing later in the day.
Nurseries, schools and public events such as sports matches have all been cancelled until further notice, with the government and private businesses now warning people to not shake hands or be in close confines with each other. The news follows parliamentary elections which saw large crowds of people standing in line – some with masks – to vote on February 21. Many reportedly avoided voting altogether due to the ongoing fear of the virus.
On February 22, the Armenian Foreign Ministry called on citizens to halt travel to Iran. The ministry asked those who are on the Iranian side to contact the Armenian embassy.
By afternoon on February 23, Turkish Airlines announced it was cancelling all flights to and from Iran by the end of the day.
Flights via Iraqi Airways to Baghdad were officially “delayed” on the board; it is not known whether the return flight to the neighbour will carry passengers.
Iranian authorities have ordered all travel agencies, airlines and hotels to
refund all bookings and tickets and waive all cancellation fees.
Faced with a crisis of this magnitude, many businesses that depend on tourism
are either closing their doors or letting go of staff to cut costs.
9.1.6 ​TMT sector news
Iran’s cyberpolice force have arrested 24 people accused of spreading rumours about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the country, ISNA reported on February 26.
Misinformation by the Iranian government and conflicting numbers has only caused greater panic among the public, which is already distrusting of authorities in the country after recent cover-ups, including the downing of the Ukraine International Airlines​ fl​ ight in January by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in what was later admitted to be an accident despite a senior Ukrainian arms dealer being onboard.
The Iranian government continues to fight the ongoing spread of the deadly coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of 19 officially and infected some 139 more. However, new data from the US suggest that some 30,000 people could be infected with the virus.
"Twenty-four people were arrested and handed over to the judiciary and 118 (internet) users were talked to and let go," Vahid Majid, head of the cyberpolice unit, said to reporters.
Several journalists are believed to be among those sent to jail; however, their names have not yet been released.
Iranian journalists in several cities have reported that the authorities warned them not to publish unofficial figures inciting panic in the country.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has opened his first Russian language Twitter account, according to MK.RU on January 29. The most powerful cleric in Iran has had several foreign language services via his website, leader.ir for several years, however, it is only in recent months his office has opened other languages including Azerbaijani – which he speaks via his maternal line – and Russian this week.
In his first tweet, the top ayatollah tweeted in Russian “ In the name of Allah the Merciful, the Merciful!” A line from the Islamic daily prayer.
Twitter, Facebook and other popular social media networks are blocked in Iran, but Iranians manage to access the sites via widely available virtual private networks (VPNs).
38​ IRAN Country Report April 2020 www.intellinews.com