Iran - Media Landscape

The situation of the media in Iran reflects, to a certain extent, the contradictions of the complex political life and institutional architecture of the Islamic Republic. The absolute authority of the Supreme Leader, at present ayatollah Ali Khamenei, lives together with elective offices and bodies, such as the President of the Republic - that is also the head of the government - and the parliament. Candidates to such elective positions have to nevertheless go through a vetting process where the main role is played by the Guardian Council, one of the many centers of power directly or indirectly controlled by the Leader himself. The media are heavily censored and journalists and bloggers face a very high risk of imprisonment for their activity. Iran is at the 165th place in the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders in 2017 out of a total of 180 countries