""Starlink has been crucial," said Mehdi Yahyanejad, an Iranian whose nonprofit Net Freedom Pioneers has helped smuggle units into Iran, pointing to video that emerged Sunday showing rows of bodies at a forensic medical center near Tehran. "That showed a few hundred bodies on the ground, that came out because of Starlink," he said in an interview from Los Angeles. "I think that those videos from the center pretty much changed everyone's understanding of what's happening because they saw it with their own eyes.""
"Since the outbreak of demonstrations Dec. 28, the death toll has risen to more than 2,500 people, primarily protesters but also security personnel, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Starlink is banned in Iran by telecommunication regulations, as the country never authorized the importation, sale, or use of the devices. Activists fear they could be accused of helping the U.S. or Israel by using Starlink and charged with espionage, which can carry the death penalty."
SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service dropped its fees, allowing more Iranians to bypass Tehran's comprehensive shutdown of telecommunications and internet access. The shutdown began Jan. 8 amid expanding protests over a faltering economy and currency collapse. Starlink units have been available free to users with receivers, enabling transmission of videos showing rows of bodies at a forensic medical center near Tehran. Since the protests began Dec. 28, reported deaths have exceeded 2,500, including protesters and security personnel. Iran bans Starlink under telecommunication regulations; users risk accusations of aiding foreign adversaries and potential espionage charges carrying severe penalties.
Read at Fast Company
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