Iran

Despite three years in his office, President Hassan Rouhani has not delivered on his campaign promise of greater respect for civil and political rights. Executions, especially for drug-related offenses, continued at a high rate. As Rouhani faces elections for a second term in May 2017, the hardline factions that dominate the security apparatus and judiciary continued to crack down on citizens for the legitimate exercise of their rights, particularly the right to free speech, in blatant disregard of international and domestic legal standards.