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hand in many areas of Iranian society which were previously starting to liberalise as economic growth rates improved in line with the multilateral nuclear deal. Since the US walked out of that deal and imposed its heaviest sanctions ever on the Islamic Republic, the country has found itself pushed back into recession.
In a short summary put out with the latest ranking, the Reporters Without Borders said: “Iran has been one of the world’s most repressive countries for journalists for the past 40 years. State control of news and information is unrelenting and at least 860 journalists and citizen-journalists have been imprisoned or executed since 1979.
It added: “The Islamic regime exercises extensive control over the media landscape and its harassment of independent journalists, citizen-journalists and independent media has not let up. They are constantly subjected to intimidation, arbitrary arrest and long jail sentences imposed by revolutionary courts at the end of unfair trials.
“The media that are still resisting increasingly lack the resources to report freely and independently. As a result, it is the citizen-journalists on social networks who are now at the centre of the battles for freely- reported news and information and for political change in Iran. The regime has extended its fight against media freedom beyond the country’s borders and also targets the international media.”
3.0​ ​Macro Economy
3.1​ ​Macroeconomic overview
Iran moves to ease additional financial strain on citizens as COVID-19 crisis continues
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has announced further plans to ease financial strains on citizens amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, ISNA reported. ​The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) previously announced that it would offer a commercial loan repayment holiday of ​three months​ for businesses in the country.
But as part of wider efforts, employees can now defer health insurance, income tax payments and utility bills for up to the next three months starting from March 17.
In addition, the monthly stipend sent to the poorest deciles of Iran will be increased during the continuing Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
Banks have, meanwhile, been instructed to remove restrictions and limits on cheque payments for businesses.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO's) emergencies head Michael Ryan said on March 11 that the COVID-19 situation in Iran was "very serious". The WHO had sent 40,000 testing kits to Iran but there was still a shortage of ventilators and oxygen, he added. "Iran and Italy are suffering now but I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation very soon," he commented.
13​ IRAN Country Report June 2020 www.intellinews.com