DHAKA: Iranian authorities have destroyed 100,000 satellite dishes and receivers as part of a widespread crackdown against illegal devices they say ‘deviate morality and culture’.

General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, the head of Iran’s Basij militia, oversaw the destruction ceremony in Tehran on Sunday and warned of the impact that satellite television was having in the country.

‘The truth is that most satellite channels... deviate the society’s morality and culture,’ media reported him as saying, according to Al Jazeera.

‘What these televisions really achieve is increased divorce, addiction and insecurity in society.’

Naghdi said that a total of one million Iranians had already voluntarily handed over their satellite dishes to authorities.

Conservatives regularly denounce the channels as an attempt to corrupt Iranian culture and Islamic values.

Iranian police regularly raid neighborhoods and confiscate dishes from rooftops, and under Iranian law, satellite equipment is banned and those who distribute, use, or repair them can be fined up to $2,800.

BDST: 1420 HRS, JUL 25, 2016
RR