Dokument #1241622
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
The following information was provided by a
specialist in Iranian politics in Toronto (4 Jan. 1994). According
to this source, forcible recruitment into the Revolutionary Guard
is not done today, was not done during the Iran/Iraq war, and
anyone who has already performed regular army service will not be
so recruited. The only time people may be forcibly recruited is
through conscription for regular military service. As well, there
could be a general mobilization due to an impending war or a
national event requiring the mobilization of all able-bodied males.
The source noted that the Revolutionary Guard depends on volunteers
and it has never been short of persons wanting to join its ranks.
The source noted that in the past the Revolutionary Guards had to
turn back many volunteers because there was no place for them.
The above information was corroborated by
an official with the U.S. Committee for Refugees in Washington, DC
(5 Jan. 1994). This source explained that there are three kinds of
military or paramilitary forces in Iran: the regular army, which
relies on conscripts to fill its ranks; the Basij, which is made up
of volunteers; and the Revolutionary Guard, which is a volunteer
corp of "true believers" in the cause of Islam. According to the
source, there is therefore no need to force anyone to join the
Revolutionary Guards.
This response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum.
Sociologist and specialist in Iranian
politics, Toronto. 4 January 1994. Telephone interview.
U.S. Committee for Refugees, Washington,
DC. 5 January 1994. Telephone interview with specialist on Iranian
affairs.