11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Human rights record of Iran worsened ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22644]

"[...] The government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. The government severely limited citizens' right to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections. There were reports of unjust executions after unfair trials. Security forces committed acts of politically motivated abductions; torture and severe officially-sanctioned punishments, including death by stoning; amputation; flogging; and excessive use of force against and imprisonment of demonstrators. Vigilante groups with ties to the government committed acts of violence. Prison conditions remained poor. Security forces arbitrarily arrested and detained individuals and held political prisoners and women's rights activists. There was a lack of judicial independence and of fair public trials.

The government severely restricted civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, movement, and privacy. The government placed severe restrictions on freedom of religion. Official corruption and a lack of government transparency persisted. Violence and legal and societal discrimination against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and homosexuals; trafficking in persons; and incitement to anti-Semitism remained problems.

The government severely restricted workers' rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively, and child labor remained a serious problem. On December 18, for the fifth consecutive year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing "deep concern at ongoing systematic violations of human rights.""

Document(s): Open document

24.10.2007 - Source: Iran Focus

European Union condemns human rights violations by Iranian government; freedom of press and of expression are at stake; Iran has been closing down newspapers, arresting journalists and three student protesters in recent past ("EU blasts human rights violations in Iran") [ID 21737]

Document(s): Open document

10.09.2007 - Source: Federal Government (Germany)

Deterioration of human rights situation since Mahmud Ahmadinejad assumed office in 2005; details on death penalty and corporal punishment (response to parliamentary query, in German) ("Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage der Fraktion Bündnis 90/Die Grünen - BT-Drs. 16/6336") [ID 22071]

"[...] Seit Amtsantritt der derzeitigen iranischen Regierung unter Präsident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad im Jahre 2005 ist eine Verschlechterung der Menschenrechtslage im Iran zu beobachten. Die fortdauernden Repressionsmaßnahmen lassen ver- muten, dass die iranische Staatsführung Anstrengungen zur Disziplinierung einer in Teilen widerstrebenden Gesellschaft unternimmt. Die Gesellschaft soll gezwungen werden, den Prinzipien der Islamischen Revolution treu zu bleiben. Diese Tendenz hat sich in den letzten Monaten verstärkt.

[...]Die Zahl der Hinrichtungen hat 2007 gegenüber den Vorjahren deutlich zugenommen. 2006 wurden im Iran 177 Hinrichtungen dokumentiert, in den ersten acht Monaten des Jahres 2007 bereits mindestens 173. Die Zahl der Hinrichtungen hat 2007 gegenüber den Vorjahren deutlich zugenommen. 2006 wurden im Iran 177 Hinrichtungen dokumentiert, in den ersten acht Monaten des Jahres 2007 bereits mindestens 173.

Nach Erkenntnissen der Bundesregierung finden im Iran landesweit Hinrichtungen statt. Die Verurtei- lungen der Betroffenen erfolgen wegen unterschiedlicher Straftaten: Tötungsdelikte, Handel mit Betäubungsmitteln und Waffen, Raub, Entführung, Unruhestiftung und Vergewaltigung. Hinrichtungen werden teilweise öffentlich, in der Regel durch Erhängen durchgeführt. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Iranian human rights record has worsened in 2006 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19335]

"The government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. The following significant human rights problems were reported: severe restriction of the right of citizens to change their government peacefully; unjust executions after reportedly unfair trials; disappearances; torture and severe officially sanctioned punishments such as death by stoning; flogging; excessive use of force against demonstrators; violence by vigilante groups with ties to the government; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; lack of judicial independence; lack of fair public trials; political prisoners and detainees; severe restrictions on civil liberties including speech, press, assembly, association, movement, and privacy; severe restrictions on freedom of religion; official corruption; lack of government transparency; violence and legal and societal discrimination against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and homosexuals; trafficking in persons; incitement to anti-Semitism; severe restriction of workers' rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively; and child labor. On December 19, for the fourth consecutive year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing detailed, serious concern over the country's human rights problems."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Human rights abuses committed by regular, paramilitary and plainclothes security forces ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19535]

"The regular and paramilitary security forces both committed numerous, serious human rights abuses. According to a 2004 HRW report, the government's use of plainclothes security agents to intimidate political critics became more institutionalized since 2000. They were increasingly armed, violent, and well equipped, and they engaged in assault, theft, and illegal seizures and detentions."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

With exception of AI, ICRC, UNHCR and the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing international NGOs were not permitted to establish offices or conduct regular investigative visits ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 21066]

"International human rights NGOs were not permitted to establish offices in or conduct regular investigative visits to the country. On an exceptional basis, in 2004 AI officials visited the country as part of the EU's human rights dialogue, joining academics and NGOs to discuss the country's implementation of international human rights standards.

The ICRC and the UNHCR both operated in the country. In June the government allowed the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing to visit. The December 19 UNGA resolution on human rights in the country encouraged the government to receive UNSRs on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions; torture; independence of judges and lawyers; freedom of religion or belief; and freedom of opinion and expression. It also encouraged the government to receive the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the situation of human rights defenders and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances."

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Deterioration of respect for basic human rights in 2006 ("World Report 2007") [ID 18987]

"Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely tortures and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged solitary confinement. The Judiciary, which is accountable to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is responsible for many serious human rights violations.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s cabinet is dominated by former intelligence and security officials, some of whom have been implicated in serious human rights violations, such as the assassination of dissident intellectuals. Under his administration, the Ministry of Information, which essentially performs intelligence functions, has substantially increased its surveillance of dissidents, civil society activists, and journalists."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Overview on human rights developments ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 15708]

"

Scores of political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, continued to serve prison sentences imposed following unfair trials in previous years. Hundreds more were arrested in 2005, mostly in connection with civil unrest in areas with large minority populations. Internet journalists and human rights defenders were among those detained arbitrarily without access to family or legal representation, often initially in secret detention centres. Intimidation of the families of those arrested persisted. Torture remained commonplace. At least 94 people were executed, including at least eight who were under 18 at the time of their alleged offence. Many sentences of flogging were imposed. The true number of those executed or subjected to corporal punishment was believed to be considerably higher than the cases reported. "

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 8488]

"The government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. On December 16, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution expressing detailed, serious concern over the country's human rights problems.

In preparation for the June presidential elections, there was intense political struggle between a broad popular movement favoring greater liberalization of human rights and the economy, and hard-line elements within government and society that viewed such reforms as a threat to the Islamic Republic. Reformists and hard-liners within the government engaged in divisive internal debates.

The following human rights problems were reported:

significant restriction of the right of citizens to change their government
summary executions, including of minors
disappearances
torture and severe punishments such as amputations and flogging
violence by vigilante groups with ties to the government
poor prison conditions
arbitrary arrest and detention, including prolonged solitary confinement
lack of judicial independence
lack of fair public trials, including lack of due process and access to counsel
political prisoners and detainees
excessive government violence in Kurdish areas
substantial increase in violence from unknown groups in an Arab region of the country
severe restrictions on civil liberties--speech, press, assembly, association, movement, and privacy
severe restrictions on freedom of religion
official corruption
lack of government transparency
violence and legal and societal discrimination against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and homosexuals
trafficking in persons
incitement to anti-Semitism
severe restriction of workers' rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively
child labor"

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 8489]

"The government continued to restrict the work of local human rights groups. The government denies the universality of human rights and has stated that human rights issues should be viewed in the context of a country's "culture and beliefs."

In July 2004 the government granted permission to operate to an independent nonpolitical NGO, the Society for the Defense of the Rights of Prisoners. It worked to protect detainees and promote prison reform, established a small fund to provide free legal advice to prisoners, and supported the families of detainees. Founders included former political prisons Emaddedin Baqi and Mohammad Hassan Alipour. On September 4, the group appealed to Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Shahrudi for progress in some of the most sensitive political prisoners' cases (see section 1.e.).

Various professional groups representing writers, journalists, photographers, and others attempted to monitor government restrictions in their fields, as well as harassment and intimidation against individual members of their professions. On February 15, the Association in Defense of Press Freedoms announced that eight persons involved in press affairs were in prison (see section 1.e.). However, the government severely curtailed these groups' ability to meet, organize, and effect change.

There were domestic NGOs working in areas such as health and population, women and development, youth, environmental protection, human rights, and sustainable development. Some reports estimated a few thousand local NGOs were in operation. However, a more restrictive environment accompanied the new presidential administration.

The EU established a human rights dialogue with the country in 2002, but in a December 20 press release, it called the results disappointing and said the country had not agreed to a meeting during the year. The EU expressed deep concern that the human rights situation had not improved and in many respects worsened.

International human rights NGOs were not permitted to establish offices in or conduct regular investigative visits to the country. On an exceptional basis, in June 2004 AI officials visited the country as part of the EU's human rights dialogue, joining academics and NGOs to discuss the country's implementation of international human rights standards.

The ICRC and the UNHCR both operated in the country. The government allowed the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women to visit from January 29 to February 6, and the UNSR on housing from July 19 to 30. The December UNGA resolution on human rights in the country encouraged the government to receive UNSRs on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, torture, independence of judges and lawyers, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of opinion and expression. It also encouraged the government to receive the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the situation of human rights defenders and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission was established in 1995 under the authority of the head of the judiciary, who sits on its board as an observer. In 1996 the government established a human rights committee in the majles, the article 90 commission, which received and considered complaints regarding violations of constitutional rights; however, when the seventh majles formed its new article 90 commission, the commission dropped all cases pending from the sixth majles. During the year the commission took no effective action.

In 2003 lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in advancing human rights. Ebadi has campaigned on behalf of women, children, and victims of government repression. She represented the family of Darius and Parvaneh Forouhar, killed in 1998, and the family of a student killed during the 1999 student protests, and was arrested in 2000. Ebadi is a founder of the Center for the Defense of Human Rights, which represents defendants in political cases.

In mid-January Ebadi announced that the judiciary summoned her, but she claimed the summons was not legal because it did not specify any charges. She refused to attend, and the summons was withdrawn. Subsequently, the head of the revolutionary court said there was no complaint against Ebadi and that there was no reason to summon her, but that she had misunderstood a summons from the court. On February 23, Ebadi refused to appear in court in a case relating to a recording she and another attorney, Mohsen Rahami, made in 2001 of a former Ansar-e Hizballah member describing the activities of such groups in attacking reformists."

Document(s): Open document

16.02.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Report on ongoing human rights violations and intensifying repression since new government took office in August 2005 ("Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation [MDE 13/010/2006]") [#44251], [ID 8490]

"Six months after Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took up office as the country’s new president, the human rights situation in Iran remains dire. Scores of critics and opponents of the government continue to be imprisoned, many following grossly unfair trials, the death penalty is widely used and torture is common. The authorities maintain strict controls on freedom of expression and association, and religious and ethnic minorities are subject to persecution. Women are severely discriminated against in both law and practice and those lawyers, journalists and others who dare speak up in support of human rights - Iran’s community of courageous human rights defenders – do so at constant risk of harassment, imprisonment or other abuses by security authorities who are able to act with impunity."

Document(s): Open document

01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Annual report on human rights situation in 2005 ("World Report 2006") [#42355], [ID 8491]

"Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and opinion, deteriorated considerably in 2005. The government routinely uses torture and ill-treatment in detention, including prolonged solitary confinement, to punish dissidents. The judiciary, which is accountable to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been at the center of many serious human rights violations. Abuses are perpetrated by what Iranians call “parallel institutions”: paramilitary groups and plainclothes intelligence agents violently attack peaceful protesters, and intelligence services run illegal secret prisons and interrogation centers. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, elected in June 2005, appointed a cabinet dominated by former members of the intelligence and security forces, some of whom are allegedly implicated in the most serious human rights violations since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established twenty-six years ago, such as the assassination of dissident intellectuals."

Document(s): Open document

10.2005 - Source: UK Home Office

Country report of October 2005 ("Country Report - October 2005") [#40559], [ID 8492]

"According to AI, Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and five other international instruments. It is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child but has a reservation to provisions or articles of the Convention that are incompatible with Islamic laws. Some parties consider this blanket reservation to be incompatible with the spirit of the treaty. It is not a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women or the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. On 12 August 2003 Iran’s senior legislative body, the Guardian Council (Shoura-ye Negahban) refused to ratify parliament’s proposal of 23 July 2003 to accede to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Neither is it a signatory to the optional Protocols to the ICCPR including that aimed to abolish the death penalty."

Document(s): Open document

08.2005 - Source: Freedom House

Annual survey of political rights and civil liberties 2004 ("Freedom in the World 2005") [#41317], [ID 8493]

Document(s): Open document

25.05.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Annual Report 2005 (covering 2004) ("Annual Report 2005") [#32306], [ID 8494]

"Scores of political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, continued to serve prison sentences imposed following unfair trials in previous years. Scores more were arrested in 2004, many in connection with press articles or publications both in print and on the Internet which were alleged to “endanger national security” or defame senior officials or religious precepts. Many of the families of those arrested also faced intimidation.

Independent human rights defenders were harassed. At least two individuals died in custody and 159 people were executed, including one minor. At least two of the 36 people who were flogged reportedly died following the implementation of the punishment; no investigations were carried out into these deaths. The true number of those executed or subjected to corporal punishment was believed to be considerably higher.
[...]
The ongoing Human Rights Dialogue process between the EU and Iran led to few lasting benefits. In March, the EU stated that it had seen little improvement in human rights and that violations remained widespread. Several Iranian human rights defenders criticized the process for its lack of transparency and effectiveness. In a concluding statement, the EU reiterated long-standing human rights concerns including the use of torture, unequal rights for women, the use of the death penalty, religious discrimination and the lack of an independent judiciary. Iran’s judiciary rejected these comments, while newspaper interviews given by the deputy head of the judiciary, Mohammad Javad Larijani, expressed contempt for the process and human rights.

In November, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution condemning the human rights situation in Iran. It drew attention to Iran’s “failure to comply with international standards in the administration of justice, the absence of due process of law, the refusal to provide fair and public hearings and right to counsel…” and forms of systematic discrimination. It urged the authorities to appoint an independent and impartial prosecutor in Tehran and to fulfil Iran’s international commitments. A proposed visit by the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was postponed at the government’s request. [...]"

Document(s): Open document
Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29525], [ID 8495]

"[...]
The Constitution states that "reputation, life, property, (and) dwelling(s)" are protected from trespass except as "provided by law"; however, the Government infringed on these rights. Security forces monitored the social activities of citizens, entered homes and offices, monitored telephone conversations, and opened mail without court authorization.

Vigilante violence included attacking young persons considered too "un-Islamic" in their dress or activities, invading private homes, abusing unmarried couples, and disrupting concerts or other forms of popular entertainment. Attackers targeted women whose clothing did not cover their hair and all parts of their body except the hands and face or those who wore makeup or nail polish. In October, in Rasht, Unit 110 of the Law Enforcement Forces, another police unit charged with maintaining Islamic propriety, arrested 8 girls and 12 boys dancing at a party. In Shiraz, in late October, over a 2-day period at least 150 people were arrested. Eyewitnesses said that dozens of individuals, mostly youths, were arrested on the streets for their "un-Islamic attire." A large number of persons reportedly were arrested for "acting as a nuisance." A young man was arrested for "eating in public" in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan according to friends accompanying him.

Authorities entered homes to remove television satellite dishes, or to disrupt private gatherings in which unmarried men and women socialized or where alcohol, mixed dancing, or other forbidden activities were offered or took place. There were also widespread reports that the homes and offices of reformist journalists were entered, searched, or ransacked by government agents in an attempt to intimidate. The government campaign against satellite dishes continued, although enforcement appeared to be arbitrary and sporadic, varying widely with the political climate and the individuals involved. Press reports from late 2003 noted that security authorities restarted periodic efforts to remove satellite dishes from Tehran homes, and in 1 day confiscated 450 dishes in a single neighborhood. Early in the year, western media reported that Islamist militia confiscated approximately 40,000 satellite dishes from 4 factories secretly manufacturing satellite equipment in eastern Tehran; however, the vast majority of satellite dishes in individual homes continued to operate. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

05.08.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

The recent hunger strike in Tehran's Evin prison and the unabated wave of arrests and temporary detention of students, journalists and workers are some of the signs of a worsening human rights situation in Iran ("Iran: Human rights commitments not matched by reality") [#24509], [ID 8496]

Document(s): Open document

09.06.2004 - Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights

Lack of cooperation with UN mechanisms; Ahmad Batebi disappeared on 8 November 2003 just after meeting with Special Rapporteur ("EU-Iran Dialogue on Human Rights: One step forward, two steps back (ACHRF/24/04)") [#23237], [ID 8497]

"Similarly, though Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression thanked the Iranian government for cooperation, Ahmad Batebi disappeared on 8 November 2003 just after the meeting with the Special Rapporteur. Batebi, who was sentenced in 2000 to a 15-year prison term after his participation in the July 1999 demonstrations, was in addition charged with "participation in illegal associations" after his arrest on 8 November 2003. This is a clear violation of the Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/9, which "urges Governments to refrain from all acts of intimidation or reprisal against (a) those who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with representatives of United Nations human rights bodies, or who have provided testimony or information to them and (b) those who avail or have availed themselves of procedures established"."

Document(s): Open document

26.05.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Annual Report 2004 (covering 2003) ("Annual Report 2004") [#22670], [ID 8498]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

25.02.2004 - Source: US Department of State

The Government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003") [#19747], [ID 8499]

"The Government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. The right of citizens to change their government was restricted significantly. Continuing serious abuses included: summary executions; disappearances; torture and other degrading treatment, reportedly including severe punishments such as beheading and flogging; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; lack of habeas corpus or access to counsel and prolonged and incommunicado detention. Citizens often did not receive due process or fair trials. The Government infringed on citizens' privacy rights, and restricted freedom of speech, press, assembly, association and religion. [...]

The Government restricted the work of human rights groups; however, it permitted visits during the year by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the U.N. Special Rapporteur for the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression. Violence and legal and societal discrimination against women were problems. The Government restricted the work of human rights groups. The Government discriminated against minorities and severely restricted workers' rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively. Child labor persisted. Vigilante groups, with strong ties to certain members of the Government, enforced their interpretation of appropriate social behavior through intimidation and violence. There were reports of trafficking in persons.

In October, lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in advancing human rights both in the country and internationally."

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Attacks on freedom of expression and association ("Annual Report 2003") [#13028], [ID 8500]

"Scores of students, academics and journalists were arbitrarily arrested and many faced politically motivated criminal charges based on defamation or security laws. Trials in this context usually fell short of international fair trial standards and continued to be heard in special courts and frequently behind closed doors, resulting in the imprisonment of people solely on account of their beliefs. Many of the arbitrary arrests of student leaders in January and November were carried out in the manner of abductions, with several students "disappearing" for days. Prisoners of conscience, such as student leader Ali Afshari (see below), faced new charges apparently designed to prolong their imprisonment. Others were released only to be immediately rearrested.

Journalist and researcher Hojjatoleslam Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari, imprisoned in connection with his participation in an academic conference in Berlin, Germany, in April 2000, was unexpectedly released in early August. He was rearrested weeks later without a warrant or any explanation, and subsequently sentenced to a further seven years' imprisonment.
The trial of up to 30 prisoners of conscience, including academics, journalists and intellectuals associated with the Milli Mazhabi (national-religious association), notably the Iran Freedom Movement (IFM), recommenced in January. The defendants faced vaguely worded charges including "acts against national security", "conspiring to weaken the religious faith of students" and "seeking to overthrow the state by illegal means". One of the defence lawyers resigned on the grounds that it was impossible for him to represent his clients without access to the case files. Another, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, was reportedly barred from attending the court and later sentenced to five years' imprisonment and banned from practising law for 10 years in connection with his defence of the case (see below). On 27 July the 30 defendants were sentenced to prison terms of up to 10 years; the dissolution of the IFM was ordered as part of the sentence.
Hashem Aghajari, an academic and member of the pro-reform Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution (OMIR), was tried in connection with a speech he made in June in the western city of Hamedan. He had called for a reformation of religion, stating that the faithful should not "blindly follow" religious leaders. He was sentenced to death and 74 lashes for vaguely worded offences relating to the defamation of religion and religious leaders. In an exceptional move, the Supreme Leader ordered the judiciary to review the sentence."

Document(s): Open document
Open document Open document

27.05.2003 - Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung

Notruf der iranischen Reformer an Khamenei ("Notruf der iranischen Reformer an Khamenei") [#14048], [ID 8501]

31.03.2003 - Source: US Department of State

The Government's human rights record remained poor, and deteriorated substantially during the year ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2002") [#11869], [ID 8502]

"The Government's human rights record remained poor, and deteriorated substantially during the year, despite continuing efforts within society to make the Government accountable for its human rights policies. The Government denied citizens the right to change their government. Systematic abuses included summary executions; disappearances; widespread use of torture and other degrading treatment, reportedly including rape; severe punishments such as stoning and flogging; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; and prolonged and incommunicado detention.

On occasion there were judicial proceedings against government officials for misconduct; however, perpetrators usually remained unpunished. The influence of conservative government clerics, which pervaded the judiciary, often prevented citizens from receiving due process or fair trials. The Government used the judiciary to stifle dissent and obstruct progress on human rights. The Government infringed on citizens' privacy rights, and restricted freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association.

The Government restricted freedom of religion, particularly for Baha'is. The Government controlled the selection of candidates for elections. An intense political struggle continued during the year between a broad popular movement that favored greater liberalization in government policies, particularly in the area of human rights, and certain hard-line elements in the Government and society, which viewed such reforms as a threat to the survival of the Islamic republic. In many cases, this struggle was played out within the Government itself, with reformists and hard-liners squaring off in divisive internal debates. In August President Khatami introduced two bills in the Majles designed to enhance his Presidential powers. One would remove the right of the Guardian Council to veto candidates running for elections. The bills were passed and awaited ratification by the Guardian Council at year's end. As in the past, reformist members of Parliament were harassed, and for the first time, were prosecuted and jailed for statements made under cover of parliamentary immunity. Khatami's June 2001 reelection did not appear to have resulted in meaningful reform. On the contrary, the repression of reformers, including parliamentarians, continued and intensified.

The Government restricted the work of human rights groups and denied entry to the U.N. Special Representative for Iran of the Commission on Human Rights (UNSR) during the period of his mandate. The UNSR's mandate ended during the year with the defeat of the resolution at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in April. Violence against women occurred, and women faced legal and societal discrimination. The Government discriminated against religious and ethnic minorities and severely restricted workers' rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively. Child labor persisted. Vigilante groups, with strong ties to certain members of the Government, enforced their interpretation of appropriate social behavior through intimidation and violence. There were reports of trafficking in persons."

Document(s): Open document

11.2001 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Human Rights overview 2001 ("7th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Berlin, 11 - 12 June 2001: Final Report - Iran") [#7661], [ID 8503]

Document(s): cois2001-irn.pdf

11.2001 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

00.11.2001 – ACCORD: Human rights situation 1997 - 2001 ("7th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Berlin, 11 - 12 June 2001: Final Report - Iran") [#7661], [ID 8504]

"Right after Khatami’s election in August 1997, there was a short period of grace. Nonetheless, in the latter half of 1998, human rights issues in Iran were marked by an increase in human rights violations (HRVs) centering on disappearences and subsequent extrajudicial executions of journalists and intellectuals that came to be known as the ‘serial murders’. In the latter part of the same year, signs of a growing clampdown on freedom of expression and association appeared which was coupled with increasing domestic debate and dissent over regulations concerning other social issues and freedoms, such as the dress code and moral attitudes.

These issues continued to dominate the human rights agenda in 1999 and 2000, marked by a growing polarisation in domestic politics between the ”reformist” and ”conservative” groups, culminating in student demonstrations in July 1999 over the closure of a popular newspaper called ‘Salam’ (Peace). The numerous arrests - often arbitrary – in the aftermath of the widespread student demonstration, were marked by incidences of torture and resulted in the death sentence for 4 student leaders in September 1999 which was reduced to life-term prison sentences on 30 April 2000.

It was followed by three distinct periods during which journalists and intellectuals have been targeted, detained, tried and imprisoned and newspapers closed.

The first, in November 1999 coincided with the start of the electoral campaign for the parliamentary, or Majles (Islamic Consultative Assembly), elections to be held in February 2000. The second clampdown occurred in April 2000, prior to the second round of the Majles elections and following a controversial academic conference in
Berlin.5 The third wave of repression of intellectuals and journalists marked the start of the sixth Majles session in July 2000. In May 2000, the outgoing Majles ratified a Press Law which significantly curtailed freedom of expression and which directly resulted in the imprisonment of prisoners of conscience. Incoming Majles members sought to amend the law, but were subject to unprecedented intervention by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who called on parliamentarians to suspend their deliberations.

In 2000, there were continued reports that scores, possibly hundreds, of political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience sentenced after unfair trials in previous years, continued to be held. Scores of the students detained following demonstrations in July 1999, including those associated with banned or tolerated secular political parties, continued to be held throughout the country that year.

Up to June 2001, Iran has witnessed the arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention of scores of intellectuals, amongst them religious nationalists known as ”Milli Mazhabi” (Iran Freedom Movement). For instance, in March 2001, 23 people were arrested in a
single raid when they were meeting at a private residence.

The judicial system and lack of effective safeguards of the rights of the accused, Iran’s national and international committments notwithstanding, are important obstacles in the path to greater freedom of expression and association. Despite calls for its reform, made even by the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, the judicial
system is, in the view of a range of commentators, the largest obstacle to an improvement in the human rights situation in Iran.

After a year in office, the Parliament gradually displays some encouraging signs, in particular concerning the Article 90 Commission, which reviews indiscretions and complaints by private citizens. The Commission does not have the judicial functions to implement these decisions but it wields considerable social power."

Document(s): cois2001-irn.pdf