DOCSLIB.ORG

IRAN COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
IRAN COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service IRAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 16 January 2013 IRAN JANUARY 2013 Contents Preface Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Maps ...................................................................................................................... 1.04 Iran ..................................................................................................................... 1.04 Tehran ................................................................................................................ 1.05 Calendar ................................................................................................................ 1.06 Public holidays ................................................................................................... 1.07 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 Pre 1979: Rule of the Shah .................................................................................. 3.01 From 1979 to 1999: Islamic Revolution to first local government elections ... 3.04 From 2000 to 2008: Parliamentary and presidential elections ......................... 3.07 From 2009 to May 2010 ........................................................................................ 3.08 Presidential election – 12 June 2009 ................................................................. 3.08 Demonstrations and aftermath of the election to government crackdown during 2010 ................................................................................................... 3.13 From 2011 to May 2012 ....................................................................................... 3.23 Parliamentary elections: March and May 2012 .............................................. 3.26 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JUNE TO 2 DECEMBER 2012) ............................................. 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION .......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Political parties ..................................................................................................... 6.06 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. CRIME ...................................................................................................................... 8.01 Drug smuggling .................................................................................................... 8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 9.01 Overview of security and intelligence forces ..................................................... 9.01 Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) known as Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Aminat-e Keshvar (VEVAK) or Ettela’at .......................................................... 9.04 Law enforcement forces (including the police) ................................................. 9.06 Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC also known as ‘Pasdaran’) ......... 9.08 Qods / Quds Force ............................................................................................. 9.15 Basij ................................................................................................................... 9.19 Ansar-e Hezbollah (Helpers of the Party of God) ............................................... 9.26 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 9.29 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 9.31 Arbitrary arrest and detention ............................................................................. 9.31 Detention centres ........................................................................................... 9.37 Torture ................................................................................................................ 9.46 Amputation and floggings ................................................................................... 9.56 Extra-judicial killings ........................................................................................... 9.61 10. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 10.01 11. JUDICIARY ................................................................................................................ 11.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 11.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 2 December 2012. JANUARY 2013 IRAN Court structure ................................................................................................... 11.05 Independence ....................................................................................................... 11.09 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 11.15 Trial in absentia .................................................................................................. 11.22 Double jeopardy (ne bis in idem) ........................................................................ 11.24 Bail ..................................................................................................................... 11.25 Penal code ............................................................................................................ 11.30 Security laws ...................................................................................................... 11.41 Knowledge of the judge ...................................................................................... 11.42 Crimes committed outside Iran ........................................................................... 11.48 Court documentation ........................................................................................... 11.49 Summonses ....................................................................................................... 11.49 Arrest warrants ................................................................................................... 11.57 Reporting ............................................................................................................ 11.61 Court verdicts and issuance/enforcement of judgments ..................................... 11.62 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 14.01 Stoning .................................................................................................................. 14.12 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 15.01 Freedom of political expression .......................................................................... 15.01 Events during and after the 2009 Presidential elections ..................................... 15.07 Political dissidents outside Iran ......................................................................... 15.20 Political prisoners and prisoners of conscience .................................................. 15.29 Freedom of association and assembly ............................................................... 15.34 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 15.41 Green Movement ............................................................................................... 15.45 Student activists ................................................................................................ 15.53 Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK/MKO) (aka People‘s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) or Holy Warriors of the People) ............ 15.64 People‘s Resistance Movement of Iran (PMRI) aka Jundallah .......................... 15.75 Kurdish political parties: ..................................................................................... 15.87 Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI, also DPIK) ...................................... 15.88 Komala [Komalah, Komaleh] .......................................................................... 15.92 Partiya Jiyana Azada Kurdistan (PJAK) aka Kurdistan Free Life Party or Party of Free Life of Iranian Kurdistan............................................................ 15.97 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ............................................................................... 16.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 16.01 Print media ...........................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY the Islamic Republic of Iran
    IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Islamic Republic of Iran is a constitutional, theocratic republic in which Shia Muslim clergy and political leaders vetted by the clergy dominate the key power structures. Government legitimacy is based on the twin pillars of popular sovereignty--albeit restricted--and the rule of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution. The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was chosen by a directly elected body of religious leaders, the Assembly of Experts, in 1989. Khamenei’s writ dominates the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. He directly controls the armed forces and indirectly controls internal security forces, the judiciary, and other key institutions. The legislative branch is the popularly elected 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly, or Majlis. The unelected 12-member Guardian Council reviews all legislation the Majlis passes to ensure adherence to Islamic and constitutional principles; it also screens presidential and Majlis candidates for eligibility. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected president in June 2009 in a multiparty election that was generally considered neither free nor fair. There were numerous instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control. Demonstrations by opposition groups, university students, and others increased during the first few months of the year, inspired in part by events of the Arab Spring. In February hundreds of protesters throughout the country staged rallies to show solidarity with protesters in Tunisia and Egypt. The government responded harshly to protesters and critics, arresting, torturing, and prosecuting them for their dissent. As part of its crackdown, the government increased its oppression of media and the arts, arresting and imprisoning dozens of journalists, bloggers, poets, actors, filmmakers, and artists throughout the year.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran 2019 International Religious Freedom Report
    IRAN 2019 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the official state religion. It states all laws and regulations must be based on “Islamic criteria” and an official interpretation of sharia. The constitution states citizens shall enjoy human, political, economic, and other rights, “in conformity with Islamic criteria.” The penal code specifies the death sentence for proselytizing and attempts by non-Muslims to convert Muslims, as well as for moharebeh (“enmity against God”) and sabb al-nabi (“insulting the Prophet”). According to the penal code, the application of the death penalty varies depending on the religion of both the perpetrator and the victim. The law prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs. The constitution also stipulates five non-Ja’afari Islamic schools shall be “accorded full respect” and official status in matters of religious education and certain personal affairs. The constitution states Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians, excluding converts from Islam, are the only recognized religious minorities permitted to worship and form religious societies “within the limits of the law.” The government continued to execute individuals on charges of “enmity against God,” including two Sunni Ahwazi Arab minority prisoners at Fajr Prison on August 4. Human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continued to report the disproportionately large number of executions of Sunni prisoners, particularly Kurds, Baluchis, and Arabs. Human rights groups raised concerns regarding the use of torture, beatings in custody, forced confessions, poor prison conditions, and denials of access to legal counsel.
    [Show full text]
  • Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender, Religion Or Belief, Ethnicity and Language, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
    Written contribution to the Human Rights Committee From All Human Rights for All in Iran Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan – Geneva (KMMK-G) Association for the Human Rights Of The Azerbaijani People In Iran (AHRAZ) Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) OutRight International Siamak Pourzand Foundation Small Media Impact Iran In preparation for the List of Issues prior to Reporting (LOIPR) for the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN Discrimination and violence based on gender, religion or belief, ethnicity and language, sexual orientation and gender identity Human Rights Committee, 129th session (Geneva) 29 June – 24 July 2020 All Human Rights for All in Iran is a non-governmental organization established in 2017, and based in Austria. All Human Rights for All in Iran is working with Iranian partners, to try to draw the international attention to the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The organization has contributed to the section on women’s rights. It is a member of Impact Iran. The Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan - Geneva (KMMK-G) aims to promote democracy, respect for human rights and social development in and beyond Kurdistan of Iran. It was established in 2006 in Geneva, and it is committed to struggle against any form of discrimination towards ethnic and religious minorities within the region, defend political prisoners, fight for the abolition of death penalty, and promote women’s and children’s rights. The organization has contributed to the section on the rights of ethnic minorities. It is a member of Impact Iran.
    [Show full text]
  • COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 267/2012 of 23 March 2012 Concerning Restrictive Measures Against Iran and Repealing Regulation (EU) No 961/2010 (OJ L 88, 24.3.2012, P
    02012R0267 — EN — 09.07.2019 — 026.002 — 1 This text is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. The Union's institutions do not assume any liability for its contents. The authentic versions of the relevant acts, including their preambles, are those published in the Official Journal of the European Union and available in EUR-Lex. Those official texts are directly accessible through the links embedded in this document ►B COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 267/2012 of 23 March 2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Regulation (EU) No 961/2010 (OJ L 88, 24.3.2012, p. 1) Amended by: Official Journal No page date ►M1 Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 350/2012 of 23 April 2012 L 110 17 24.4.2012 ►M2 Council Regulation (EU) No 708/2012 of 2 August 2012 L 208 1 3.8.2012 ►M3 Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 709/2012 of 2 August 2012 L 208 2 3.8.2012 ►M4 Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 945/2012 of 15 October L 282 16 16.10.2012 2012 ►M5 Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1016/2012 of 6 November L 307 5 7.11.2012 2012 ►M6 Council Regulation (EU) No 1067/2012 of 14 November 2012 L 318 1 15.11.2012 ►M7 Council Regulation (EU) No 1263/2012 of 21 December 2012 L 356 34 22.12.2012 ►M8 Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1264/2012 of 21 December L 356 55 22.12.2012 2012 ►M9 Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 522/2013 of 6 June 2013 L 156 3 8.6.2013 ►M10 Council Regulation (EU) No 517/2013 of 13 May 2013 L 158 1 10.6.2013 ►M11 Council Regulation (EU) No 971/2013 of 10 October 2013
    [Show full text]
  • IRAN COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service
    IRAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service Date 28 June 2011 IRAN JUNE 2011 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN FROM 14 MAY TO 21 JUNE Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 14 MAY AND 21 JUNE Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Maps ...................................................................................................................... 1.04 Iran ..................................................................................................................... 1.04 Tehran ................................................................................................................ 1.05 Calendar ................................................................................................................ 1.06 Public holidays ................................................................................................... 1.07 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 Pre 1979: Rule of the Shah .................................................................................. 3.01 From 1979 to 1999: Islamic Revolution to first local government elections ... 3.04 From 2000 to 2008: Parliamentary elections
    [Show full text]
  • EU Embassies and Consulates in Tehran
    EU Embassies and Consulates in Tehran Austrian Embassy in Tehran, Iran Embassy of Austria in Tehran, Iran Bahonarstr., Moghaddasistr., Zamanistr Mirvali 11, Teheran City: Tehran Phone: (+98/21) 22 75 00-38 (+98/21) 22 75 00-40 (+98/21) 22 75 00-42 Fax: (+98/21) 22 70 52 62 Website: http://www.bmeia.gv.at/teheran Email: [email protected] Belgian Embassy in Tehran, Iran Embassy of Belgium in Tehran, Iran Elahieh - 155-157 Shahid Fayyazi Avenue (Fereshteh) 16778 Teheran City: Tehran Phone: + (98) (21) 22 04 16 17 Fax: + (98) (21) 22 04 46 08 Website: http://www.diplomatie.be/tehran Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Sunday through Thursday 8.30 to 12.30 and 13.00 to 14.00 For visa applications & legalizations : Sunday through Tuesday from 8.30 to 11.30 AM Bulgarian Embassy in Tehran, Iran Bulgarian Embassy in Tehran, Iran IR Iran, Tehran, 'Vali-e Asr' Ave. 'Tavanir' Str., 'Nezami-ye Ganjavi' Str. No. 16-18 City: Tehran Phone: (009821) 8877-5662 (009821) 8877-5037 Fax: (009821) 8877-9680 Email: [email protected] Croatian Embassy in Tehran, Iran Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Tehran, Iran 1. Behestan 25 Avia Pasdaran Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran City: Tehran Phone: 0098 21 258 9923 0098 21 258 7039 Fax: 0098 21 254 9199 Email: [email protected] Details: Covers the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Details: Ambassador: William Carbó Ricardo Cypriot Embassy in Tehran, Iran Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Tehran, Iran 328, Shahid Karimi (ex.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Full Text
    Annual Report 2019 Published March 2019 Copyright©2019 The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. ISBN: 978- 2 - 35822 - 010 -1 women.ncr-iran.org @womenncri @womenncri Annual Report 2018-2019 Foreword ast year, as we were preparing our Annual Report, Iran was going through a Table of Contents massive outbreak of protests which quickly spread to some 160 cities across the Lcountry. One year on, daily protests and nationwide uprisings have turned into a regular trend, 1 Foreword changing the face of an oppressed nation to an arisen people crying out for freedom and regime change in all four corners of the country. Iranian women also stepped up their participation in protests. They took to the streets at 2 Women Lead Iran Protests every opportunity. Compared to 436 protests last year, they participated in some 1,500 pickets, strikes, sit-ins, rallies and marches to demand their own and their people’s rights. 8 Women Political Prisoners, Strong and Steady Iranian women of all ages and all walks of life, young students and retired teachers, nurses and farmers, villagers and plundered investors, all took to the streets and cried 14 State-sponsored Violence Against Women in Iran out for freedom and demanded their rights.
    [Show full text]
  • The Relationship Between the Supreme Leadership and Presidency and Its Impact on the Political System in Iran
    Study The Relationship Between the Supreme Leadership and Presidency and Its Impact on the Political System in Iran By Dr. Motasem Sadiqallah | Researcher at the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) Mahmoud Hamdi Abualqasim | Researcher at the International Insti- tute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) www.rasanah-iiis.org WWW.RASANAH-IIIS.ORG Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................... 3 I- The Status and Role of the Supreme Leadership and the Presidency in the Iranian Political System ................................................................................. 4 II- The Problems Involving the Relationship Between the Supreme Leader and the Presidency .............................................................................................. 11 III- Applying Pressure Through Power to Dismiss the President .....................15 IV- The Implications of the Conflict Between the Supreme Leader and the Presidency on the Effectiveness of the Political System ................................. 20 V- The Future of the Relationship Between the Supreme Leader and the President ........................................................................................ 26 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 29 Disclaimer The study, including its analysis and views, solely reflects the opinions of the writers who are liable for the conclusions, statistics or mistakes contained therein
    [Show full text]
  • Jurisprudential Principles of the Cultural System of the Is- Lamic Republic of Iran
    Propósitos y Representaciones Sep. 2020, Vol. 8, SPE(3), e764 ISSN 2307-7999 Special Number: Teaching for University Students in the Context of Quarantine Measures During Pandemics e-ISSN 2310-4635 http://dx.doi.org/10.20511/pyr2020.v8nSPE3.764 CONFERENCE Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Is- lamic Republic of Iran Principios jurisprudenciales del sistema cultural de la República Islámica del Irán Majid Sabzikaran Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Gholam Hassan Delavar Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Mohammad Reza Javaheri Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Received 06-14-20 Revised 08-10-20 Accepted 09-01-20 On line 09-30-20 *Correspondence Cite as: Email: [email protected] Sabzikaran, M., Hassan Delavar, G., & Reza Javaheri, M. (2020). Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Propósitos y Representac- iones, 8 (SPE3), e764. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.20511/pyr2020.v8nSPE3.764 © Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, 2020. This article is distributed under license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Islamic Republic of Iran Summary Our revolution, unlike other movements and revolutions of the twentieth century, which often had economic and political foundations, was a cultural revolution, and we find carefully in the main slogans of the revolution (independence, freedom, republic and Islam) that Apart from the word "republic", which has a socio-political meaning, other slogans show the cultural foundations of this movement.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran COI Compilation September 2013
    Iran COI Compilation September 2013 ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria. Commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Division of International Protection. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author. ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Iran COI Compilation September 2013 This report serves the specific purpose of collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. It is not intended to be a general report on human rights conditions. The report is prepared on the basis of publicly available information, studies and commentaries within a specified time frame. All sources are cited and fully referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Every effort has been made to compile information from reliable sources; users should refer to the full text of documents cited and assess the credibility, relevance and timeliness of source material with reference to the specific research concerns arising from individual applications. © Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD An electronic version of this report is available on www.ecoi.net. Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD Wiedner Hauptstraße 32 A- 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 58 900 – 582 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.redcross.at/accord ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria.
    [Show full text]
  • Mullahs, Guards, and Bonyads: an Exploration of Iranian Leadership
    THE ARTS This PDF document was made available CHILD POLICY from www.rand.org as a public service of CIVIL JUSTICE the RAND Corporation. EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Jump down to document6 HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit NATIONAL SECURITY research organization providing POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY objective analysis and effective SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY solutions that address the challenges SUBSTANCE ABUSE facing the public and private sectors TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY around the world. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE Support RAND WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE Purchase this document Browse Books & Publications Make a charitable contribution For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND National Defense Research Institute View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Mullahs, Guards, and Bonyads An Exploration of Iranian Leadership Dynamics David E.
    [Show full text]
  • The Path Dependent Nature of Factionalism in Post- Khomeini Iran
    HH Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Publication Series The Path Dependent Nature of Factionalism in Post-Khomeini Iran Ariabarzan Mohammadi Number 13: December 2014 About the Author Dr Ariabarzan Mohammadi is a Visiting Research Fellow with teaching duties in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University for 2014-15. Disclaimer The views expressed in the HH Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Publication Series are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the School or of Durham University. These wide ranging Research Working Papers are products of the scholarship under the auspices of the al-Sabah Programme and are disseminated in this early form to encourage debate on the important academic and policy issues of our time. Copyright belongs to the Author(s). Bibliographical references to the HH Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Publication Series should be as follows: Author(s), Paper Title (Durham, UK: al-Sabah Number, date). 2 | P a g e The Path Dependent Nature of Factionalism in Post- Khomeini Iran Dr Ariabarzan Mohammadi Abstract The main claim of this paper is that the anti-party system in Iran, or what is known as factionalism, is subject to a path dependent process. The political system in post- Khomeini Iran is not based on political parties. The authoritarian regime in Iran has not developed into a ruling party system as in Egypt under Mubarak. Instead, through its different stages of institutionalisation, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has gradually degenerated from what looked like a single party system during the ascendancy of the Islamic Republic Party (IRP) in the first and second Majlis (the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran), to an anti-party, factional system that has continued to the present.
    [Show full text]