A/HRC/43/20 industrial action over the past three years.39 Other labour rights activists, including Neda Naji, Atefeh Rangriz and Anisha Asadollahi, were also reportedly arrested and imprisoned in 2019. 28. While welcoming the release on bail of some labour rights activists and the review of their sentences, the Secretary-General remains concerned about the use of national security charges and lengthy prison sentences in reaction to peaceful activities in defence of workers’ rights. 3. Freedom of expression online and the right to privacy 29. The Government continued to tightly control access to information online, including by blocking access to social media and messaging platforms. The suspension of foreignbased online services may push people to use local platforms promoted by the Government under the National Information Network, a domestic-only network using Internet protocols and infrastructure hosted in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This raises privacy concerns, given that local platforms facilitate the monitoring of online activity and the blocking of websites. It is also feared that the increased use of the Network could make it easier for the Government to cut off access to the global Internet. 40 Internet access disruptions were reported in June and August 2019. The Government indicated that blocking access to social media platforms is aimed at preventing terrorist and immoral activity in cyberspace. 30. Sanctions are also having an impact on access to online information and technology. In August 2019, three major cloud services companies suspended services in the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure compliance with applicable sanctions. 41 The suspension of the services of the largest such provider, which hosts the majority of alternative tools such as virtual private networks,42 could further restrict online privacy and safety. 31. The personal data protection and safeguarding bill currently under review in the parliament requires significant changes to comply with international standards for data protection, including basic principles such as ensuring that data is processed lawfully, for specific purposes and is handled based on informed consent or another legitimate legal basis.43 4. Arrest, detention and harassment of journalists, writers and artists for the peaceful expression of opinions 32. OHCHR continued to receive reports of the arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists. On 7 September 2019, four journalists from the news service Gaam were sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment on national security-related charges44 in relation to their reporting on labour rights and other social issues. On 8 September 2019, the head of the judiciary appeared to have ordered a review of the decision, which was pending in November 2019.45 In the interim, the Gaam journalists were released on bail, in October and November 2019.46 Shargh newspaper journalist Marzieh Amiri was reportedly detained for covering the protests of 1 May 2019 and inquiring about arrested protestors.47 She was 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 8 See https://t.me/syndica_7tape/2117 (in Farsi); https://t.me/kargarane7tape/563 (in Farsi). See www.article19.org/data/files/The_National_Internet_AR_KA_final.pdf; and www.irna.ir/news/83485967/ (in Farsi). See https://thenextweb.com/dd/2019/10/24/the-iranian-developer-deadlock-stuck-betweencensorship-and-us-sanctions/. See A/74/273. See General Assembly resolution 45/95; and E/CN.4/1990/72. See www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/09/iran-prison-and-flogging-sentences-for-sevenjournalists-and-activists-disgraceful-injustice/; https://t.me/syndica_7tape/2217; and www.isna.ir/news/98061708561/ (in Farsi). See www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/10/iran-draconian-sentences-rights-defenders; and www.mizanonline.com/fa/news/548157/ (in Farsi). See https://en.radiozamaneh.com/29852/; www.radiozamaneh.com/472265 (in Farsi); and www.ilna.news/fa/tiny/news-827636 (in Farsi). See www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1306632019ENGLISH.pdf; https://plus.irna.ir/news/83378584/ (in Farsi); and https://plus.irna.ir/news/83324087/ (in Farsi).