Iran

79 million people
4,520 USD GNI (PPP)
Internet:
Not Free
Press:
Not Free
Not Free

Population and GNI data source

News & Updates

Press Release

Sanctions Will Hold Rights Abusers in Iran Accountable

Nov 9 2012 - 5:12pm

Freedom House applauds the Obama Administration for authorizing new sanctions against nine individuals and organizations in Iran accused of human rights abuses, including censorship and blocking of citizen internet access. The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Treasury Department on November 8, are a positive step by the administration to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its abysmal human rights record.

Issues: 
Freedom of Expression, Human Rights Defense, Internet Freedom, Media Freedom, Religious Freedom, Rule of Law, U.S. Foreign Policy, Women's Rights
Regions: 
Middle East and North Africa
Freedom Alert

Iranian Activists Win Prestigious Sakharov Prize for Commitment to Human Rights

Oct 26 2012 - 4:21pm

Freedom House congratulates Nasrin Sotoudeh and Jafar Panahi, two brave Iranian nationals who have been awarded the European Parliament’s prestigious 2012 Sakharov Prize for Human Rights and Freedom of Thought.

Issues: 
Freedom of Expression, Human Rights Defense, Rule of Law
Regions: 
Middle East and North Africa
Press Release

New Report: Governments Grow Increasingly Repressive Online, Activists Fight Back

Sep 24 2012 - 12:01am

Brutal attacks against bloggers, politically motivated surveillance, proactive manipulation of web content, and restrictive laws regulating speech online are among the diverse threats to internet freedom emerging over the past two years, according to a new study released today by Freedom House.

Issues: 
Internet Freedom
Regions: 
Americas, Asia-Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe/Eurasia, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Europe
Press Release

New Report: Mobile Technologies Put Users’ Security at Risk

Jul 30 2012 - 1:47pm

The capability of repressive governments to monitor users of mobile phones and block access to internet content is far beyond levels realized by users and presents significant risks for user privacy and safety, according to a new report released today by Freedom House and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). This is a serious problem in countries that lack the rule of law and where civil liberties are not respected.

Issues: 
Internet Freedom
Regions: 
Asia-Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe/Eurasia, 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

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.

 

Issues: 
Freedom of Expression, Media Freedom
Regions: 
Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa

Programs

Iran

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