08.2005 - Source: Freedom House

Women ("Freedom in the World 2005") [#41317],  [ID 8463]

"[...]Although women enjoy the same political rights as men and currently hold several seats in parliament and even one of Iran’s vice presidencies, they face discrimination in legal and social matters. A woman cannot obtain a passport without the permission of a male relative or her husband, and women do not enjoy equal rights under Sharia (Islamic law) statutes governing divorce, inheritance, and child custody. A woman’s testimony in court is given only half the weight of a man’s. Women must conform to strict dress codes and are segregated from men in most public places. In August, a 16-year-old girl was executed after being sentenced to death for “acts incompatible with chastity.”[...]"

Document(s): Open document

19.06.2002 - Source: Amnesty International

Amnesty International-Urgent Action: ("Iran - UA 184/02") [#7506],  [ID 8465]

Document(s): Open document

16.01.2002 - Source: Council of the European Union

Council of the European Union: ("Note from the General Secretariat to CIREA: Danish fact-finding mission to Iran Rf. 5262/02") [#8107],  [ID 8466]

Document(s): Open document

01.10.2000 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Danish Immigration Service: Conditions for issuing Iranian passports ("Report on fact-finding mission to Iran; 9 - 17 September 2000") [#9593],  [ID 8464]

"The delegation met Mohammad Ali Mirkhani, Head of the Passport and Visa Department of the
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conditions for issuing Iranian passports were also
discussed with the Iranian police force's passport division (Law Enforcement Forces – LEF) at its
head office in Tehran.
According to Mohammad Ali Mirkhani, the Iranian police force (LEF) is the authority responsible
for issuing passports. According to the LEF, the department has 9 passport-issuing offices in
Tehran and a further 49 offices in other cities in Iran.
According to Mr Mirkhani, any Iranian citizen above the age of 18 is entitled to an Iranian passport,
but possession of such a passport does not mean that the holder is permitted to leave Iran.
If it is established at the time a passport is issued that the passport applicant has matters to settle
with the Iranian authorities, the person concerned will be informed accordingly. At the same time,
the applicant will be requested to contact the relevant authority in order to solve the problem. Only
once this has been done can the applicant be issued with a passport.
An application form has to be completed when applying for a passport. The details provided on the
form must be identical to those which appear on the applicant's Iranian identity card, which must be
presented in conjunction with the application. In addition, Iranian men must present a military
logbook certifying that they have completed military service.
Any Iranian citizen applying for a passport must come in person to the LEF, both to submit the
application form and to collect the passport when it is ready. A passport can be issued within
48 hours of the application form being submitted.
Iranian passports are valid for five years. They can be extended for a further five years. There are
no periods of validity other than five years. According to Mohammad Ali Mirkhani, the Iranian
authorities are planning to introduce new Iranian passport forms. At present this is scheduled to take place in March 2002.
A married woman must have permission from her husband before a passport can be issued. The
woman's husband must appear before a notary public in order to give his written permission. The
woman herself does not have to appear before the notary when her husband gives his permission.
Once he has given his permission, the husband does not have to appear before the passport police in
connection with his wife's passport application.
Persons belonging to religious minorities are issued with passports in the same way as any other
Iranian citizen. Passports do not indicate religious affiliation. However, such information must be
provided in the passport application form.
According to a Western embassy contacted by the delegation, there are no problems in connection
with the issuing of passports to members of the Iranian Baha'i faith, and passports do not provide
information about a person's affiliation to the Baha'i faith.
According to Mr Mirkhani, persons belonging to ethnic minorities do not experience any problems
in obtaining Iranian passports as a result of their ethnicity.
Mr Mirkhani also disclosed that records are kept containing information about Iranian citizens who
have applied for passports and those who have been issued passports. Those records are
confidential.
Passports are issued by Iranian representations outside Iran in cooperation with the Iranian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. The LEF is not involved in such cases.
According to Mr Mirkhani, a fee of around USD 15 is charged for issuing a passport in Iran.
Iranian representations outside Iran charge a passport fee of around USD 55 for issuing an Iranian
passport.
When asked whether the Iranian authorities had experience of bribes being paid in connection with
the issuing of passports, Mr Mirkhani said that he had never seen any reports of bribes being paid in
connection with applications for or the issuing of Iranian passports, nor had he ever heard of such cases."

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