Starlink Usage Turns Fatal in Iran Internet Blackout

Key Takeaways:

• Iran’s 64-day digital blockade led to the death of Hesam Alaeddin for allegedly using Starlink.
• Netblocks reports 1% connectivity, costing Iran over $2.5B according to the Chamber of Commerce.
• Despite 4 April arrests, Iranians keep risking thousands to buy Starlink kits on black markets to remain connected.

Man Allegedly Beaten To Death For Circumventing Iran’s Blockade Using Starklink

Iran’s digital blockade, which was imposed as a security measure by the Iranian regime shortly after the first attacks of the U.S.-Israel coalition, still stands, and it has reached its first fatal victim.

The blockade, now on its 64th day, leaves the Iranian population without internet access, with connectivity at just 1% of the country’s normal levels, according to Netblocks, which has been tracking the evolution of this measure since day one.

Afshin Kolahi, a member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, estimates that the blockade has caused daily economic losses of up to $80 million, with total losses reaching over $2.5 billion. Nonetheless, it has also affected the human rights of Iranians, who are now being pursued for seeking ways to sidestep this blockade.

According to local reports, Hesam Alaeddin, a 40-year-old man who was arrested in Tehran for allegedly using a Stralink terminal to access the internet, was beaten to death in his home during questioning and a search after his electronic devices were seized.

This would be one of the first deaths reported linked to the use of Starlink terminals in Iran, after the devices became an escape from the blockade that maintains most of the population disconnected.

The regime has been targeting Starlink, the famous satellite internet company, whose usage is considered a crime in the country, since January. In April, four individuals were arrested for importing Starkink terminals, accused of being part of a foreign espionage network.

Even so, the few Iranians who can purchase the kits on black markets for thousands of dollars, and those who use specialized virtual private networks (VPNs), keep risking their lives to reach beyond the digital wall.