Internet Butcher

Eisa
Zarepour

Eisa Zarepour, Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology under Ebrahim Raisi’s administration, played a key role in developing and expanding the National Information Network — a domestic infrastructure aimed at fully controlling the internet and restricting public access to the global web. This network was used as a central tool for suppressing internet access and disconnecting users, especially during times of public protest, allowing the government to heavily restrict the free flow of information and digital communication.

Despite repeatedly claiming that the National Information Network did not mean cutting off the internet, in practice, it led to widespread censorship, digital surveillance, and internet shutdowns during critical moments. Zarepour was sanctioned by the European Union and the U.S. Treasury Department for his direct role in the suppression of the nationwide protests in October 2022.