Source:
Freedom
House
Iran’s poor governance has worsened further
in the past two years under President Ahmadinejad’s administration, according to
a new report released today by Freedom House.
Countries at the Crossroads, an annual
survey of government performance in 30 strategically important countries
worldwide, showed a decline in the democratic character of its governance in
Iran since 2005. The report found that political interference in the
judicial system has intensified, cronyism has become more pervasive, and
violations of civil liberties have increased.
The narrative and scores from Countries at the
Crossroads 2007 for Iran are available online in English and Persian.
“While the world has been outraged by the recent
brutal treatment of Iranian Americans visiting family in Iran, the Iranian
government’s actions have also shown an increased disregard for ordinary
citizens living in the country,” said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of
Freedom House. “The regime increasingly tramples individual rights and puts the
state at the service of an elite, that is dominated by senior clerics and
Revolutionary Guard.”
Corruption is rife in Iran, and the State Audit Court
has revealed numerous cases of embezzlement from state agencies. Last
year, for example, $6 billion in oil revenues was never deposited in the
national treasury.
Despite Ahmadinejad’s promise to eliminate cronyism,
he was openly accused of giving numerous government positions to friends and
relatives. Members of the Revolutionary Guard are gaining preferential
access to state assets, apparently through their connections to Ahmadinejad’s
administration. This includes multi-billion dollar contracts won without
competitive bidding.
Meanwhile, the government has tightened restrictions
on free expression and assembly, as evident in recent crackdowns on student and
labor union leaders and on activists campaigning for women’s rights. It
also continues to shut down reformist newspapers and to threaten or imprison
journalists who criticize the regime.
“Increased repression is taking place against the
backdrop of Ahmadinejad’s failure to deliver on his promises to curb corruption
and to improve the living standards of ordinary Iranians,” said Daniel
Calingaert, deputy director of programs at Freedom House. “As we can see
on the internet, where there still is some room for free expression, Iranians
are extremely frustrated with the regime.”
The Freedom House survey, Countries at the
Crossroads, provides a comparative evaluation of government performance in
four touchstone areas of democratic governance: Accountability and Public Voice,
Civil Liberties, Rule of Law, and Anticorruption and Transparency. This survey
examines these areas of performance in a set of 30 countries that are at a
critical crossroads in determining their political future.
Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental
organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world, has been
monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Iran since 1972.
Stephen Fairbanks, author of the Iran chapter of
Countries at the Crossroads, is a specialist on Iranian affairs
who previously served as the political analyst on Iran for the U.S. Department
of State and as director of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Persian
Services. He earned a Ph.D. in Iranian studies at the University of
Michigan.
