IFP- Iran�s ICT minister says the activities of counter-revolutionary elements in the cyberspace should not be used as a pretext to restrict the country�s political landscape.

Minister of communications and information technology, Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, says all institutions of the Islamic establishment see eye to eye when it comes to countering counter-revolutionary elements operating in the virtual space.

However, he said, the necessity of tackling counter-revolutionary elements should not turn into a pretext to label political opposition as counter-revolutionaries and block the country�s political landscape. He said the government intends to open up the country�s political atmosphere.

Touching upon anti-revolutionaries� activities in the cyberspace, he said, �Counter-revolutionary elements seek to create public discontent, and we shouldn�t further fuel that.�

The ICT minister then touched upon recent remarks by judicial officials regarding Telegram and counter-revolutionary channels.

�Comments by the country�s prosecutor general, who said he didn�t want to block the cyberspace, are promising. All constituents of the establishment have the same opinion on counter-revolutionaries� activities in the cyberspace in the country, and they cannot afford to see this space be used for acting against people�s mental security and spreading hate and lies,� the minister noted.

�We all agree that anti-revolution channels which hatch plots and disrupt people�s mental security and their investments in the country mustn�t be allowed to work, and we are seriously working to limit their activities.�

He said we are also dealing with numerous cases where people have come to the ministry and asked it to tackle anti-revolution activities.

�The enemy should know that the administration (the executive branch) and the Judiciary do not have differences in this regard and have the same opinion.�

Azari Jahromi�s comments came after a channel in the Telegram messaging app started raising false allegations against the country�s top officials, particularly the Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani. The counter-revolutionary channel�s activities have sparked controversy in Iran over the need to restrict the activities of such online services.