Instagram account reactivated, says Syria presidency

The Syrian presidency said Wednesday it had regained access to its official Instagram account a day after it was apparently blocked. In a statement posted on social networks including Instagram, the presidency said the account was “reactivated”, but complained that “other national accounts” were still suspended without specifying the dates they were closed. The presidency said Tuesday the move came without “prior warning or a logical justification”.

YouTube had previously blocked the presidency’s channel several times, it said. The “deliberate” decision to close-down official government channels and accounts on social media networks is part of a “growing siege” imposed on Syria since the start of the country’s war in 2011, the presidency said. It said it believed further measures may follow as part of a so-called “soft war” being waged on the country, now that “the military conflict is receding”.

Instagram did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but a spokesman said last week that compliance with US sanctions prompted the application to block the accounts of several Iranian Revolutionary Guards.