Iran
Iran has been an Islamic Republic since its 1979 Revolution. The state is headed by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The executive branch of government is headed by the President, who is elected by the people and restricted to a maximum of two four-year terms in office. The current President is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is serving his first elected term. The Majilis, elected from regional and religious representatives hold legislative powers. The Council of Guardians was set up to ensure that the Majilis and the President adhere to Islamic law and has the right to veto candidates for governmental office.
President Ahmadinejad's predecessor President Khatami had taken a comparatively reformist stance, opposing censorship and attempting to improve relations with the West, whilst encouraging moves toward a more open and democratic government. He has enjoyed support from the public but experienced strong resistance from the now conservative majority in the government. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor, won a run-off vote in elections in June 2005, becoming Iran's first non-cleric president for 24 years. Now that the conservatives have secured the Presidency there are no areas of the government under reformist control.
Under Ahmadinejad, the judiciary has imposed restrictions of freedom of expression and on the press, and there is systemic suppression of much intellectual dissent. Pro-reformist independent newspapers that are critical of governmental policies are targeted and banned from publishing. Although, there remains a few independent dailies, they are believed to practise 'self-censorship'.
The Ministry of Culture and Guidance has been denying publication and republication permits to publishers as a way of controlling opposing voices. Hundreds of books are banned, including some that have been published before, threatening the economic survival of such books' publishers. Internet websites (both local and international), with materials containing political news and analysis are also blocked.
To read a report written by a leading Iranian journalist and PEN member, Faraj Sarkouhi, highlighting the issue of censorship of Iran, published on 26 November 2007, please click here.
Journalists and writers face imprisonment if they voice opposition to the governmental authorities, censor themselves or if they insult or criticise the Supreme Leader. The Ministry of Information has expanded surveillance of dissidents, human rights activists and journalists. The threat of serving time in prison has led a number of writers and journalists to leave Iran or to censor themselves, shying away from topics that could cause contention. Measure have also been taken recently (e.g. a Government resolution adopted in November 2006) to control access to political information and news on the Internet, with increased targeting of journalists who publish on the Internet.
Iran currently imprisons the highest number of journalists in the Middle East.
Sources: For further information, based on primary research, see the annual reports from Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org/), the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (http://www.cpj.org/), Reporters Without Borders (http://www.rsf.fr/) and the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (http://ifex.org/) . See also Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/). For more general information on Iran, see the Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profile (www.fco.gov.uk).