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Imposition of Islamic law, a continuing economic crisis, lack of freedom of expression,
violation of women's rights, brutality carried out during protests, internet cutoffs,
and the killing of Mahsa Amini were some of the reasons for the start of civil protests in Iran in 2021-2022.
Iran is a perpetrator of transnational authoritarianism.
Iran is an authoritarian country, and uses all forms of political repression known.
In acts of insidious political repression, high-profile professors in top Iran universities
have been fired under false pretexts, if any was given at all.
It is suspected that the professors are being punished for their support of the protesters
who took to the streets in 2022.
In 2023, Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize.
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The Islamic Republic of Iran holds elections regularly, but they fall short of democratic standards due in part to the influence of the hard-line Guardian Council, an unelected body that disqualifies all candidates it deems insufficiently loyal to the clerical establishment. Ultimate power rests in the hands of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the unelected institutions under his control. These institutions, including the security forces and the judiciary, play a major role in the suppression of dissent and other restrictions on civil liberties.
Internet freedom remained highly restricted in Iran during the coverage period. Authorities attempted to disrupt protests and stem coverage of violence through several localized internet shutdowns during the coverage period. A majority of international websites and social media platforms are blocked by Iranian authorities and online self-censorship is encouraged by the arrests and intimidation of government critics. A draft version of the User Protection Bill was presented during the coverage period, which, if passed, would provide authorities with even greater powers to restrict the online space. Online surveillance and cyberattacks continued to threaten internet freedom, and hackers targeted state infrastructure across the country. In September 2022, after the coverage period, massive antigovernment protests spread across Iran after Mahsa Amini died while in state custody; Amini had been arrested by morality police in Tehran for the offense of "improper hijab." In response to the protests, Iranian authorities blocked access to websites and platforms including Instagram and WhatsApp, disrupted internet and mobile services, and violently cracked down on protesters.
This article is only about human rights in Iran, specifically since 1979.
Imposition of Islamic law, a continuing economic crisis, lack of freedom of expression, violation of women's rights,
brutality carried out during protests, internet cutoffs, and the killing of Mahsa Amini
were some of the reasons for the start of civil protests in Iran in 2021-2022.
Civil unrest and protests against the government of Iran
associated with the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini (Persian: مهسا امینی)
began on 16 September 2022 and are ongoing in 2023.
Human rights in Iran during
the Imperial Pahlavi dynasty (1925 to 1979),
and the Islamic Republic (since 1979).
Despite having signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1991 and ratified it in 1994,
Iran has not upheld its obligations under the treaty.
Iran Human Rights (IHR) (Persian: سازمان حقوق بشر ایران)
is a non-profit international non-governmental organization focused on human rights in Iran.
Founded in 2005, it is a non-partisan and politically independent organisation based in Oslo, Norway.
Official website: iranhr.net - Iran Human Rights.
The Defenders of Human Rights Center is an Iranian human rights organization.
Based in Tehran, the organization was founded in 2001 and
has actively defended the rights of women, political prisoners and minorities in Iran.
Official website: humanrights-ir.org - Defenders of Human Rights Center.
From Cyrus the Great to today, the Iranian people have however a long history and deep democratic aspirations.
Covers Zoroastrianism,
the Medes (around 11th century BCE),
the Achaemenid (9th century BCE),
and the Arsacid Empire (3rd century BCE).
There exist several perspectives on the relationship between Islam and democracy
among Islamic political theorists, the general Muslim public, and Western authors.
Polls indicate that majorities in the Muslim world desire a political model where
democratic institutions and values can coexist with the values and principles of Islam, seeing no contradiction between the two.
Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran is a book written by Prince Reza Pahlavi II, Crown Prince of Iran.
He advocates the principles of freedom, democracy and human rights for his countrymen.
The Foundation for Democracy in Iran is a private, non-profit organization established in 1995
with grants from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), to promote regime change in Iran.
Official website: iran.org - Foundation for Democracy in Iran.