About This Report
This report was written by CPJ Iran Consultant Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani, based in Seattle, Washington. CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour contributed reporting and research.
Zarrabi-Kashani has covered Iranian affairs for outlets including Al Monitor, Vox, the Guardian, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Brookings Institution.
Mansour is an Egyptian-American democracy and human rights activist who has authored several articles and conducted studies on civil society and the role of the new media and civil society in achieving democracy. He was named one of the top 99 young foreign policy professionals in 2013 by the Diplomatic Courier.