Iran: Amnesty Comments on National Report presented by Islamic Republic of Iran

In an Amnesty International document a number of key human rights challenges are described that must be effectively addressed to ensure concrete improvements in the situation of human rights across Iran. These include discrimination against women and minorities in law and practice, as well as entrenched failings in the administration of justice leading to arbitrary arrest, torture and other ill-treatment, unlawful killings, restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly, unfair trial, and the death penalty and other cruel punishments.

Amnesty International looks forward to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the 7thsession of the UPR Working Group in February 2010, as an important opportunity to further the promotion and protection of human rights in the country. As described in Amnesty International’s submission for the UPR of Iran, there are a number of key human rights challenges that must be effectively addressed to ensure concrete improvements in the situation of human rights across Iran. These include discrimination against women and minorities in law and practice, as well as entrenched failings in the administration of justice leading to arbitrary arrest, torture and other ill-treatment, unlawful killings, restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly, unfair trial, and the death penalty and other cruel punishments.

(Please find the National Report presented by Iran attached below)

Amnesty International welcomes the attention which the Islamic Republic of Iran has given to the Universal Periodic Review process. However, the Iranian authorities have made a number of assertions in the national report which are contradicted by research conducted by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations. The organization is taking this opportunity to present a number of written comments and recommendations addressing these contentions.

Amnesty International recognizes that Iran is a large and diverse country, which has made important strides in some areas relating to economic and social rights in recent years, as seen by the increase in rates of literacy and primary education. Of particular note is the fact that there are now more women than men studying at undergraduate level. However, despite constitutional guarantees of rights, progress with regard to civil and political rights as well as cultural rights has lagged far behind.

Amnesty International hopes that the Iranian government will demonstrate a real commitment towards improving its respect for human rights by adopting key recommendations made to it by other states and by making concrete commitments to strengthen the protection of human rights during the UPR, including by committing to facilitating, at the earliest opportunity, the visits of relevant special mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, particularly the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and on torture.

Amnesty International offers the following commentsion the report submitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran, with a view to contributing to the successful outcome of the review process. Many of these comments are based on issues raised in the organization’s submission in the framework of the UPR. Particular attention is paid to the need to review legislation and to strengthen key areas of the administration of justice, without which an improvement in the human rights situation in Iran would be difficult to envisage.

Date published: 12 February 2010