Country of Origin Information Report Iran January 2010
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COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT IRAN 26 JANUARY 2010 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 26 JANUARY 2010 IRAN Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN FROM 9 DECEMBER 2009 TO 26 JANUARY 2010 REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 9 DECEMBER 2009 AND 26 JANUARY 2010 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......................................................................................... 3.01 From 1979 to 1999 ........................................................................ 3.04 From 2000 to 2008 ........................................................................ 3.10 Student unrest ........................................................................... 3.15 Parliamentary elections – February 2004 .................................. 3.28 Presidential elections – June 2005 ............................................ 3.30 Assembly of Experts, local and parliamentary elections – 2006 3.36 Parliamentary elections – 2008 ................................................. 3.38 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JANUARY TO NOVEMBER 2009) ..................... 4.01 Nuclear programme and international diplomacy..................... 4.01 Presidential election – 12 June 2009 .......................................... 4.04 Demonstrations and aftermath of the election ......................... 4.11 Detention of British Embassy Staff ............................................ 4.24 5. CONSTITUTION ...................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................ 6.01 Political parties............................................................................. 6.04 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 7.01 8. CRIME ................................................................................................... 8.01 Illegal drugs situation .................................................................. 8.01 Arazel va obash ............................................................................ 8.07 9. SECURITY FORCES................................................................................. 9.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 9.01 Law Enforcement Forces (including the police)........................ 9.06 Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (‘Pasdaran’) .................... 9.08 Qods / Quds Force .................................................................... 9.15 Basij ........................................................................................... 9.18 Ansar-e Hezbollah ..................................................................... 9.20 Armed forces ................................................................................ 9.23 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 8 December 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 26 January 2010 26 JANUARY 2010 IRAN Other organisations ..................................................................... 9.25 Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Aminat-e Keshvar (VEVAK) aka Ettela’at......... 9.25 Human rights violations by the security forces ........................ 9.27 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 9.27 Torture ....................................................................................... 9.32 Extra judicial killings................................................................... 9.40 10. MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................... 10.01 11. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.01 Complaints................................................................................. 11.10 Independence ............................................................................... 11.11 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.18 Trial in absentia ......................................................................... 11.22 Bail............................................................................................. 11.24 Enforcement of Judgements...................................................... 11.25 Penal code .................................................................................... 11.26 Qisas (retribution) ...................................................................... 11.33 Knowledge of the judge ............................................................. 11.35 Court documentation ................................................................... 11.40 Summonses............................................................................... 11.40 Arrest warrants .......................................................................... 11.47 Reporting ................................................................................... 11.51 Amputation ................................................................................... 11.52 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS............................................................................ 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY.................................................................................. 14.01 Stoning .......................................................................................... 14.17 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION........................................................................ 15.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 15.01 Presidential elections of June 2009 ........................................... 15.04 Political dissidents outside Iran ................................................. 15.09 Political prisoners....................................................................... 15.12 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 15.14 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 15.20 Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK/MKO) or People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) ..................................... 15.21 Rastakhiz Party and Monarchists .............................................. 15.30 Savak......................................................................................... 15.35 Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI, also DPIK) ................. 15.36 Komala....................................................................................... 15.41 Partiya Jiyana Azada Kurdistan (PJAK) - Kurdistan Free Life Party.................................................................................... 15.46 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ........................................................ 16.01 Print media.................................................................................... 16.08 TV/radio ......................................................................................... 16.10 Internet .......................................................................................... 16.12 Academic freedom ....................................................................... 16.18 Treatment of journalists .............................................................. 16.19 Treatment of bloggers................................................................ 16.28 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ............ 17.01 18. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Religious demography ............................................................... 19.09 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 8 December 2009. iii Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 26 January 2010 26 JANUARY 2010 IRAN Legal framework........................................................................... 19.10 Apostasy (conversion from Islam).............................................. 19.13 Law on apostasy.......................................................................