Iran

Iran

79 million people

4,520 USD GNI (PPP)

Internet:

Not Free

Press:

Not Free

Population and GNI data source

News & Updates
Research & Reports
Programs

News & Updates

Press Releases

Iran’s Shame: Detention of Mousavi, Karroubi and Rahnavard

February 18, 2015

To mark the fourth anniversary of Iran’s house arrest of political opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, Freedom House issued the following statement.

Issues:

Rule of Law, Women's Rights

Regions:

Middle East and North Africa

Press Releases

Iran Interrogates, Detains Facebook Users

February 4, 2015

Freedom House issued the following statement in response to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s detention and interrogation of 36 social media users.

Issues:

Freedom of Expression, Internet Freedom, Media Freedom

Regions:

Middle East and North Africa

In the News

Why democracy support matters

September 17, 2014

President Obama's call to arms against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), like his response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, steps up U.S. efforts to curb major threats to U.S. interests. Does it also signal a greater commitment by Obama to stand up for democracy in the world? Probably not. But he should make democracy a priority.

Issues:

Democratic Governance, U.S. Foreign Policy

Regions:

Eurasia, Middle East and North Africa, Americas

Press Releases

Iran Charges Three Christians with Capital Offenses Because of Their Religion

September 5, 2014

In response to the decision by Iran’s Ministry of Justice to charge three Christians with capital offenses because of their religious beliefs, Freedom House issued the following statement:

Issues:

Freedom of Association, Human Rights Defense, Religious Freedom, Rule of Law

Regions:

Middle East and North Africa

Signature Reports

Freedom in the World

Freedom on the Net

Freedom of the Press

Countries at the Crossroads

Special Reports

Safety on the Line: Exposing the myth of mobile communication security

This report evaluates the risks and vulnerabilities of mobile phone services and apps in 12 specified countries, analyzing multiple mobiel technologies to determine their capacity to protect security and privacy and to combat censorship and surveillance.
Download the full report here.

Leaping Over the Firewall: A Review of Censorship Circumvention Tools

Internet censorship poses a large and growing challenge to online freedom of expression around the world. Censorship circumvention tools are critical to bypass restrictions on the internet and thereby to protect free expression online.

This document provides a comparison among different circumvention tools, both in terms of their technical merits, as well as how users of these tools describe their experience with them. The countries included in this report are Azerbaijan, Burma, China and Iran.

Discrimination and Intolerance in Iran's Textbooks

The government of Iran is teaching the country's children to discriminate against women and minorities, to view non-Muslims with suspicion if not contempt, and to perpetuate the regime's theocratic

Programs

Freedom House supports Iran's pro-democracy movement and human rights defenders as they resist the Iranian regime's surveillance and repression.

Issues:

Freedom of Association, Freedom of Expression, Human Rights Defense, Media Freedom

Regions:

Middle East and North Africa