The Ali’s Justice (Edalat-e Ali) hacker group has claimed responsibility for hacking the live transmission of an Iranian state-run TV and radio station to disrupt and deface the speech of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi during the Revolution Day ceremonies.
On February 11th, 2023, the President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, was delivering a speech at Azadi Square in Tehran, where a massive crowd had gathered to mark the country’s 44th anniversary. It was an opportunity for the government to show its popularity, but its efforts were sabotaged by the hacktivist collective Ali’s Justice (Edalat-e Ali).
The hackers disrupted the State TV broadcast and instead aired the slogan “Death to Khamenei” and urged people to withdraw their money from government banks. Furthermore, they encouraged the citizens to participate in antigovernment protests, due to be held on February 16th, 2023.
Watch as hackers from the Edalat-e Ali group interrupt the live transmission.
The cyberattack was also confirmed by Germany-based Iranian journalist Bamdad Esmaili on his Twitter account. On the other hand, the Edalat-e Ali group used its Telegram channel to announce the hack. In a statement seen by Hackread.com, the group claimed responsibility for hacking TV and radio transmissions.
“We the Adalat Ali group hacked the Islamic Republic of Iran’s TV and Radio transmission. First of all, the Adalat Ali group offers its condolences to the entire freedom-loving nation on the decade of dawn and the impure arrival of Khomeini the executioner to Iran.”
Edalat-e Ali
Who are Edalat-e Ali Hackers?
It is worth noting that Edalat-e Ali is a prominent group of hacktivists who have been working against the Iranian government for the past few years. Some of their recent hacks have involved the interruption of Iran State-Run TV’s live transmission in October 2022.
In August 2021, the same group breached the computer system and security cameras at a prison facility in northern Tehran, resulting in the leaking of live footage of the grim conditions and grave human rights abuses taking place inside.
Iran, Protests, Hackers and Hacktivists
Iran has been rattled by cyberattacks since September 2022, when Anonymous hacktivists launched Operation OpIran to support Iranians protesting against the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Masha Amini.
Amini died while under detention by Tehran’s morality police, called the Guidance Patrol. She was arrested for wearing her hijab improperly.
Amini’s death sparked clashes between authorities and protestors, resulting in arrests and deaths. The latest hack from the Edalat-e Ali group was also part of its support for the protestors in Iran.
Nevertheless, the Iranian government vows to tackle protesters, while hacktivists from different parts of the world aim at the country’s critical infrastructure.
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