According to the latest report by the International Federation of Journalists, Iran is among the countries that arbitrarily censor the Internet and the media.

The report, published on Friday, condemns 31 countries in the world for censorship of the press and cutting off citizens’ access to the Internet, which the report calls “threatening the rights of citizens.”

The report also states that “Internet blackouts” which are mostly political, have increased by 161 percent between the years of 216 and 2018. It also mentions the cross-country Internet disruption in Iran in the early Summer of 2019 as tensions were rising in the region.

Based on the data, 31 countries in the world have cut off access to media or the Internet at least once this year. Among these countries, Egypt, Iran, India, Turkey, Myanmar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan are higher on the list.

In the past two decades, the Islamic Republic regime of Iran has expanded its censorship from the traditional press to satellite channels and the Internet. The “National Internet” project, which significantly limits and monitors citizens on the Internet started under Ahmadinejad administration in 2005 and Rouhani administration has continued its development.

In recent years, many Iranian activists or even citizens have been arrested and convicted for their online activities or posts.