9. “Indonesia: Repeal joint ministerial decree and protect Ahmadiyya’s running, and threatened to prosecute anyone rights”, 7 May (Indonesian only) encouraging election boycott. Ongoing US sanctions, Covid-19 and IRAN corruption deepened Iran’s economic crisis, characterized by high inflation, job losses and low or unpaid wages. Strikes and rallies Islamic Republic of Iran punctuated the year as authorities failed to Head of state: Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader) prioritize adequate wages, housing, Head of government: Ebrahim Raisi (President, healthcare, food security and education in replaced Hassan Rouhani in August) public budgets. Environmental experts criticized the Thousands of people were interrogated, authorities’ failure to address Iran’s unfairly prosecuted and/or arbitrarily environmental crisis, marked by loss of lakes, detained solely for peacefully exercising rivers and wetlands; deforestation; water their human rights, and hundreds remained pollution from raw sewage and industrial unjustly imprisoned. Security forces waste; and land sinking. unlawfully used lethal force and birdshot to Iran continued to provide military support to crush protests. Women, LGBTI people and government forces in the armed conflict in ethnic and religious minorities faced Syria (see Syria entry). entrenched discrimination and violence. In February, a Belgian court sentenced Legislative developments further Iranian diplomat Assadollah Asadi to 20 undermined sexual and reproductive rights, years’ imprisonment for his role in a thwarted the right to freedom of religion and belief, bomb attack against a rally by an exiled and access to the internet. Torture and Iranian opposition group in France in 2018. other ill-treatment, including denying In March, the UN Human Rights Council prisoners adequate medical care, remained renewed the mandate of the Special widespread and systematic. Authorities Rapporteur on Iran. The authorities denied failed to ensure timely and equitable access him, other UN experts and independent to Covid-19 vaccines. Judicial punishments observers entry to Iran. of floggings, amputations and blinding were FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, imposed. The death penalty was used ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY widely, including as a weapon of repression. Executions were carried out after unfair The authorities continued to heavily suppress trials. Systemic impunity prevailed for past the rights to freedom of expression, and ongoing crimes against humanity association and assembly. They banned related to prison massacres in 1988 and independent political parties, trade unions other crimes under international law. and civil society organizations, censored BACKGROUND media and jammed satellite television channels. The former head of Iran’s judiciary, Ebrahim In January, the authorities added Signal to Raisi, rose to the presidency in June instead the list of blocked social media platforms, of being investigated for crimes against which included Facebook, Telegram, Twitter humanity related to the mass enforced and YouTube. Security and intelligence disappearances and extrajudicial executions officials carried out arbitrary arrests for social of 1988, reflecting systemic impunity in Iran.1 media postings deemed “counter- Presidential elections were held in a revolutionary” or “un-Islamic”. repressive environment with a markedly low The authorities imposed internet shutdowns turnout. Authorities barred women, members during protests, hiding the scale of violations of religious minorities and critics from by security forces. In July, parliament fast- tracked preparations for a bill that is Amnesty International Report 2021/22 197