The Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran submited the present report pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 25/24. He presented developments in the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran since the submission of his previous report (A/68/503) in October 2013. Although the report is not exhaustive, it provides a picture of the prevailing situation as observed in the preponderance of reports submitted to and examined by the Special Rapporteur.
1. The human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran remains of concern. Numerous issues flagged by the General Assembly, the United Nations human rights mechanisms and the Secretary-General persist, and in some cases appear to have worsened, some recent overtures made by the Administration and the parliament notwithstanding. Those made by the latter include amendments to the Islamic Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, elements of the charter of citizens’ rights proposed by the Administration in September 2013 and the country’s recent ratification of an additional International Labor Organization convention.
2. Various laws, policies and institutional practices continue to undermine the conditions needed for the realization of the fundamental rights guaranteed by international and national law. Some draft laws also appear to further undermine the rights to freedom of expression and association and markedly compound discrimination against women by further eroding their protection from forced marriage and rights to education, work and equal wages.
3. In 2013, the Islamic Republic of Iran submitted periodic national reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, demonstrating some cooperation with human rights mechanisms. Cooperation remains elusive, however. The Government has responded to 40 of the 69 communications sent by thematic special procedures mandate holders and the country-specific mandate holder on a number of cases and developments, including requests regarding the impact of economic sanctions, and six requests for visits to the country, most recently in January 2014. The Special Rapporteur is, however, encouraged by recent attempts by officials to enter into dialogue with him and the international community and looks forward to opportunities for collaboration.
4. Six press statements have been issued by the Special Rapporteur since October 2013, five of which were joined by other special procedures mandate holders, on concerns relating to, among other things, the application of capital punishment, political prisoners and discrimination against women and members of ethnic minority groups.
5. Between 1 January and 30 June 2014, interviews were conducted with 118individuals: 22 were located in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 54 were located in Turkey and 42 were interviewed during a fact-finding mission to Sweden, Austria and Italy from May to June 2014. In preparing the present report, the Special Rapporteur examined existing laws, draft legislation, government statements and reports, reports from civil society, news reports emanating from inside and outside the country and the Government’s reply to a draft of the present report.
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