09.08.2005 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Interview with Human Rights Special Rapporteur on adequate housing (rights of ethnic minorities, women, property evictions, land tenure) ("Interview with Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Miloon Kothari") [#35076],  [ID 8759]

Document(s): Open document

08.2005 - Source: Freedom House

Religious minorities ("Freedom in the World 2005") [#41317],  [ID 8760]

"[...]There are few laws that discriminate against ethnic minorities, who are permitted to establish community centers and certain cultural, social, sports, and charitable associations. However, Kurdish demands for more autonomy and a greater voice in the appointment of a regional governor have not been met, and some Kurdish opposition groups are brutally suppressed. The opposition Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) alleged that two of its members were executed in December 2003. In June 2004, security forces reportedly arrested 80 ethnic Azeris for allegedly “spreading secessionist propaganda.”[...]"

Document(s): Open document

17.03.2004 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Report focused on racial discrimination of non-citizens (migrant workers, asylum seekers, refugees) ("Thematic Debate: Non-Citizens and Racial Discrimination") [#20488],  [ID 8761]

Document(s): Open document

05.05.2003 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Report on ethnic and religious minorities in Iran (Azeris, Kurds, Gilakis and Mazandaranis, Luris, Arabs, Baluchis, Turkmen) ("Ethnic and religious groups in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Paper prepared by Nazila Ghanea-Hercock, University of London, Institute of Commonwealth Studies) E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2003/WP.8") [#13165],  [ID 8762]

Document(s): Open document

16.01.2002 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Treatment of minorities in Iran does not meet the norms set out in the Declaration on Minorities or in article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ("Report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, prepared by the Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Maurice Danby Copithorne, pursuant to Commission resolution 2001/17 (E/CN.4/2002/42)") [#5732],  [ID 8763]

"65. In his last several reports the Special Representative has been urging the Government to
establish a national minorities policy. In this report he wishes to place this initiative within the
international context. To begin with, the Special Representative would refer to Commission
resolution 2001/55 of 24 April 2001,which “reaffirms the obligation of States to ensure that
persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities may exercise fully and
effectively all human rights and fundamental freedoms without any discrimination and in full
equality before the law in accordance with the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to
National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities”. The Special Representative notes that
this resolution was adopted without a vote. In this regard, he would also draw attention to the
UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, adopted by the General Conference of
UNESCO on 2 November 2001.
66. The Special Representative believes there can be no doubt that the treatment of minorities
in Iran does not meet the norms set out in the Declaration on Minorities or in article 27 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. See in this regard the concluding
observation of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, following its
examination of the initial report of Iran, that the treatment of minorities in Iran is one of its
“principal subjects of concern” (E/C.12/1993/7 of 9 June 1993). The Special Representative
takes note of the writings on this subject of one distinguished Iranian legal scholar that the
Iranian Constitution, in articles 15, 19 and 20 and elsewhere, in part expressly, in part implicitly
clearly establishes the right of all Iranians to equality and fair treatment, and that this right has
not been implemented in practice. The Government must commit itself to addressing urgently
the status of minorities in Iran as a whole and to bringing the conduct of Iran in this regard into
line with recognized international standards, as well as with the Iranian Constitution.
67. The Special Representative hears frequent reference to what is described as the
Government’s implicit policy of assimilation. It is asserted that such a policy was introduced
first by Reza Shah, prior to which time Iran had been in practice a multicultural society. The
Special Representative has earlier observed that the original draft of the 1979 Constitution did
acknowledge that Iran was a multicultural nation in naming the main ethnic groups that made up
the country. He would also note that as seen in the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration of the World
Summit for Social Development, the right to be free from attempts at assimilation is emerging as
an international norm.
68. The Special Representative believes that at the first level the rights of minorities consist
not only in the right to be free from discrimination but, put more positively, that there is now an
obligation upon Governments to protect minorities against discrimination and procedural
unfairness. At a second level are certain positive rights, such as the use of minority languages in
education and the media, and basic civil and political rights such as fair trial, freedom of
expression and freedom of assembly and of association. The Special Representative draws
particular attention to the provisions of the Declaration on Minorities in this regard.
69. Information reaching the Special Representative suggests that very little meaningful
action is being undertaken by the Government to this end. The use of minority languages in the
media is sporadic rather than substantive; the use of minority languages in the educational
system seems minimal.
70. Finally, the Special Representative has referred to the need to involve the minorities
themselves in the preparation of a national minority policy, a right articulated in the Declaration
on Minorities. Whether or not it is accurate to characterize the prevailing atmosphere as one of
Persian chauvinism, as some minority activists suggest, it is clear that the situation is
discriminatory in many respects, as well as being incompatible with existing and emerging
international norms. The Government necessarily bears heavy responsibilities in this regard and
needs to make an urgent start on a national minority policy. For his part, the President is quoted
as declaring that “Iran belongs to all Iranians”."

Document(s): sr-irn-0102.pdf
Open document

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

ACCORD: According to Art. 19 of the Constitution the people of Iran belonging to whatever ethnic or tribal group shall enjoy equal rights ("7th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Berlin, 11 - 12 June 2001: Final Report - Iran") [#7661],  [ID 8764]

"There are many ethnic minorities in Iran such as Arabs, Bakhtiaris, Armenians,
Baluchis, Azeris, Kurds, Lor, Qashghais, Torkomans and others. Art. 15 of the
Constitution of Iran mentions Farsi as the official language of Iran, but adds that the ”use
of local and ethnic languages in the press and for the mass media and the teaching of
their literature shall be allowed besides the Farsi language”. Art. 19 of the Constitution
mentions that the people of Iran belonging to whatever ethnic or tribal group shall enjoy
equal rights."

Document(s): cois2001-irn.pdf

31.08.2000 - Source: Amnesty International

Amnesty International: ("Iran: Further information on Medical letter writing action - Health concern: Mahmudali Chehregani") [#823],  [ID 8765]

Document(s): Open document