For general information on the Revolutionary Guards and desertion from the Iranian armed forces, please refer to Responses to Information Requests IRN1702, IRN2104, IRN2149, IRN2378, IRN2796, IRN3748 and IRN4340. These documents are available at your Regional Documentation Centre.

With regard to penalties for deserting the Revolutionary Guard, our source at the U.S. Committee for Refugees in Washington, D.C. said that the law in Iran hardly spells out the penalty for a person who deserts the Revolutionary Guard (8 Mar. 1993). The source explained that the Revolutionary Guard started as a quasi-military organization but only later became part of the army of Iran (Ibid.). The source explained that leaving the Guard would be tantamount to deserting the armed forces of Iran. A Toronto-based specialist on Iran, who is also a close observer of Iranian affairs, corroborated this explanation (Ibid.). The source in Toronto also said that one can quit the Revolutionary Guard by claiming physical disability (Ibid). A claimant would make a submission to his immediate commander who might then initiate the procedures for a discharge (Ibid.).

With regard to penalties for desertion and/or anti-revolutionary activities, please refer to the attached photocopy from Law and Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Amnesty International Feb. 1980, 99-109). This document does not specifically mention desertion from the Revolutionary Guard, but the information might be useful.

Additional and/or corroborative information on the requested subject could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.

Amnesty International. February 1980. Law and Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran: A report covering events within the seven month period following the Revolution of February 1979. (AI Index: MDE 13/03/80). London: Amnesty International.

Source with the US Committee for Refugees. Telephone interview. 8 March 1993.

Iran specialist based in Toronto. Telephone interview. 8 March 1993.

Amnesty International. February 1980. Law and Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran: A report covering events within the seven month period following the Revolution of February 1979. (AI Index: MDE 13/03/80). London: Amnesty International.