Emotional and Arbitrary Actions Against Economic Activists Are Dangerous

Statement from the Tehran Electronic Commerce Association Regarding the Arrest of Digikala’s CEO

According to the Public Relations Office of the Tehran Electronic Commerce Association, following the arrest of Digikala’s CEO last week, the association issued a statement condemning emotional and arbitrary actions against economic activists.

The statement reads:
“Last week, the digital business ecosystem once again witnessed an arbitrary and undignified treatment of one of the country’s prominent economic actors. The Tehran Electronic Commerce Association explicitly condemns the arrest of Digikala’s CEO, which occurred due to suspicion related to an error by one of the platform’s sellers, and reiterates the necessity of distinguishing the responsibilities of platforms from those of their users.

The absence of clear legal frameworks regarding the professional responsibilities of platforms has paved the way for costly interventions by some institutions and unrealistic, concerning analyses by certain media outlets. This crisis-making occurs despite a previous, somewhat similar case in which the CEO of the Divar platform was acquitted by the appellate court with an explicit reference that ‘the criminal liability for publishing and distributing illegal content on user-driven domestic platforms lies with the user who posted it.’

The Tehran Electronic Commerce Association, as before, emphasizes the dangers stemming from this legal void and urges the relevant authorities to take prompt and expert action to resolve it. This professional body expresses its readiness for comprehensive cooperation and interaction with legislative institutions to analyze and draft laws related to this field. We hope that similar situations will not recur and that we do not further weaken the fragile seedling of hope.”