JustHost puts down the website of Iranian Opposition Leader

JustHost, a leading web hosting company takes down the website of the Iranian Opposition Leader. Mehdi Karroubi, the Iranian reformer has been on house arrest since the beginning of 2011. His website has been taken down by JustHost in the name of sanctions levied by the Office of Foreign Assets Control Department (OFAC) department under the US Treasury. According to the sanctions, US based organizations cannot provide services to Iran in any form.

Mehdi Karroubi and Mirhossein Mousavi (his associate) have been under preventive house custody since they provoked the masses for protests in harmony with pro-democracy activities in Tunisia & Egypt.

Karroubi’s website is taken care of by Mohammad Hossein Ziya who thinks of this situation as similar to that of being held between the blades of a pair of scissors. He said that it was disturbing to be trapped in a situation where the Iran-based companies are reluctant to offer services due to the fact that their websites are screened by the higher Iranian authorities while the outside firms are bound by the laws.

According to the US Treasury rules, services to the personal communication websites of Iran can be provided but trading services from Iran by using the .ir domain is prohibited. To use this, a license from the OFAC will be required.

Three Iranian websites have been taken down under the US sanction so far.