5. Islamic Republic of Iran
Population: 79.11 million
The Supreme Leader of Iran, surprisingly, is not the President Hassan Rouhani but the Commander-in-chief and Grand Ayatollah, Ali Khamenei, who took up the post in 1989. The Guardian Council of Iran is handpicked by the Grand Ayatollah, and he has extensive powers with regard to the economy, foreign relations, and practically everything else in the country. The actions taken against Ayatollah Montazeri, a political protester, included house arrest and the closing of his school, and this serves to demonstrate the approach towards dissidents in general.
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