▁two ▁weeks ▁of ▁large - scale ▁protest s ▁during ▁the ▁June ▁ 1 2 th ▁Iran ian ▁elections ▁authorities ▁sever ely ▁restricted ▁the ▁broadcast s ▁of ▁R FE / RL ' s ▁Pers ian ▁Service . ▁ ▁Being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁least ▁free ▁media ▁environments ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁Iran ▁ranks ▁ 1 8 5 th ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 ▁in ▁Fre edom ▁House ' s ▁" Fre edom ▁of ▁the ▁Press ▁ 2 0 0 9 " ▁report , ▁behind ▁countries ▁like ▁Sud an , ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia , ▁and ▁T aj ik istan . ▁In ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁mass ▁public ▁protest s ▁following ▁June ' s ▁disput ed ▁president ial ▁elections , ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁government ▁stepped ▁up ▁its ▁efforts ▁to ▁control ▁internet ▁services ▁and ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁electronic ▁communication , ▁including ▁broadcast s ▁from ▁Radio ▁F arda , ▁which ▁remain ▁illegal ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Awards ▁ ▁Radio ▁F arda ▁web ▁editor ▁Fred ▁Pet ross ians ▁won ▁a ▁media ▁award ▁from ▁Think ▁Social ▁for ▁an ▁internet - based ▁project ▁he ▁co - f ounded ▁that ▁see ks ▁to ▁spread ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁blog gers ' ▁rights ▁in ▁Iran ▁and ▁other ▁countries ▁with ▁un free ▁media . ▁ ▁Iran ian - born ▁Radio ▁F arda ▁journalist ▁A hm ad ▁Raf at , ▁now ▁a ▁well - known ▁rep orter ▁based ▁in ▁Italy , ▁has ▁been ▁hon ored ▁for ▁his ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁of ▁work ▁advoc ating ▁press ▁freedom ▁and ▁expos ing ▁human