Civil society in Iran is experiencing a disturbing and hazardous period. Over the years, Iranian authorities have adopted a repressive strategy that systematically attacks and undermines the independent civil society, a strategy that translates into numerous civil society activists being summoned, interrogated, detained and imprisoned on a regular basis. At the same time, in order to occupy the Iranian civic space, the government has accelerated its mission to develop and expand a parallel and contingent civil society, to both marginalize and silence voices of civic dissent, domestically and overseas.
This research is a case study of the main trends in Iran’s civic space and the restrictions imposed on it, with a focus on violations of the right to freedom of speech, association and peaceful assembly during the two terms of Hassan Rouhani’s presidency.