Arseh Sevom Annual Reports 2017-2020

Two annual reports spanning four years of work are ready for you to download and read. Those reports include letters from the president of the board and the executive director, an overview of Arseh Sevom’s activities, and audited financial reports.

For the past five years, Arseh Sevom’s work focused on power in Iran. We researched, documented, and created content related to the power structure and how it works. Some of what we uncovered is included in these reports.

We all know the basic structure: Supreme Leader, judiciary, parliament, Intelligence, Revolutionary Guards and the military. Simple.
That structure is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s supported by competing and cooperative networks of power that find their way into every aspect of society in Iran from business to education to civil society.

For instance, did you know that the Guardian Council has its own intelligence service and armed militia? Did you know that a large portion of Iran’s national budget is divided among a small number of Islamic charities that have no obligation of transparency? Do you know that funding for elections has increased dramatically over the past twenty years?

This coming June, new elections will be held in Iran. Each election reveals something new about power. We discover this through the ways in which the Guardian Council exercises control over the vetting process, which candidates are seen as favored by the Supreme Leader, and the tenor of the debates between the candidates.

What does this have to do with Arseh Sevom’s reports? Well, in our two most recent reports covering the years 2017-2020, you will find references to the work we did around power in Iran. This we did provides a wealth of information for researchers, journalists, and the curious. Please dig into them and use the information.

Arseh Sevom Annual Report 2017-2018

2019-2020 Arseh Sevom Annual Report

Arseh Sevom: Power in Iran

DAR SAHN
• Profiles of MPs, particularly documenting human rights abuses
• Profiles of parliamentary committees and factions
• Reports on activities of parliament
DAR SAHN: LEAD LOCAL
• Engagement with local governance as candidates and civil society organizations
• Detailed election process
• Focused on minority rights
• Trained citizen journalists
FOLLOW THE MONEY & HEN HOUSE
• Detailed profiles of 5 key Islamic charities (bonyads)
• Analysis of Iranian budget
• Financial activities of Executive Cabinet
GUARDIAN COUNCIL: OBSTACLES TO DEMOCRACY
• Detailed profiles of Guardian Council members & financial ties
• Tracked relationships with others in power
• Historical overview of the Guardian Council
• Documented growth in power and reach
• Human Rights and the Guardian Council: Podcast series & short videos