Iran: COI Compilation July 2018
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BEREICH | EVENTL. ABTEILUNG | WWW.ROTESKREUZ.AT ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Iran: COI Compilation July 2018 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 within a specified time frame on the basis of publicly available documents as well as information provided by experts. 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 This report was commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Division of International Protection. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it endorse, its content. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 4 1 Background information ......................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Geographical information .................................................................................................... 5 1.1.1 Map of Iran ................................................................................................................... 5 1.1.2 Map of Tehran .............................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Brief overview of political institutions ................................................................................ 5 2 Main political developments ................................................................................................ 14 2.1 Parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections of February 2016 .............................. 14 2.2 Presidential and municipal elections of May 2017 .......................................................... 16 2.3 Tehran attacks of 7 June 2017 .......................................................................................... 18 2.4 Recent protests .................................................................................................................. 18 3 Legal developments .............................................................................................................. 23 4 Political opposition ................................................................................................................ 24 4.1 Youth activists / protesters ................................................................................................ 24 4.2 Green movement ............................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK, MKO) ................................................................. 29 4.4 Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) ........................................................................ 32 4.5 Kurdistan Democratic Party – Iran (KDP-I) ........................................................................ 41 4.6 Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK)................................................................................ 43 4.7 Komala parties .................................................................................................................... 47 4.8 Worker-Communist Party of Iran (WPI)............................................................................ 50 4.9 Azeri political groups.......................................................................................................... 51 4.10 Monarchists ................................................................................................................ 54 4.11 Arab/Ahwaz political groups ...................................................................................... 57 4.12 Jaish al-Adl and Jundallah .......................................................................................... 59 5 Security forces ....................................................................................................................... 61 5.1 Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF, aka NAJA) ...................... 65 5.1.1 Intelligence Unit of the Law Enforcement Forces (NAJA Ettelaat) .......................... 68 5.1.2 Moral Security police including Morality Patrols (Gasht-e Ershad) ......................... 68 5.1.3 Cyber Police (FATA) .................................................................................................... 69 5.2 The Ministry of Intelligence (MOI) .................................................................................... 70 5.3 Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) ...................................................................... 76 5.3.1 IRGC Intelligence Organisation .................................................................................. 79 5.3.2 Basij force.................................................................................................................... 81 5.4 Cyber-surveillance agencies and groups........................................................................... 84 6 Human rights issues .............................................................................................................. 93 6.1 Freedom of expression, association, and assembly ......................................................... 93 6.1.1 Treatment of political opposition groups and activists ............................................ 94 6.1.2 Treatment of human rights and women’s rights activists........................................ 97 6.1.3 Treatment of lawyers ................................................................................................. 98 6.1.4 Treatment of artists, musicians and artisans .......................................................... 100 2 6.1.5 Treatment of students and academics who are (perceived to be) aligned with the opposition ............................................................................................................................ 101 6.1.6 Treatment of unionists ............................................................................................. 103 6.2 Freedom of the media ..................................................................................................... 104 6.2.1 Treatment of journalists and bloggers .................................................................... 105 6.2.2 Internet and social media activism .......................................................................... 109 6.3 Freedom of religion ......................................................................................................... 113 6.3.1 Religious demography .............................................................................................. 113 6.3.2 Religious crimes (including apostasy, heresy, blasphemy) .................................... 115 6.3.3 Treatment of religious non-conformity................................................................... 121 6.3.4 Treatment of religious minorities ............................................................................ 122 6.4 Treatment of minority ethnic groups ............................................................................. 147 6.4.1 Kurds ......................................................................................................................... 147 6.4.2 Arabs (including Ahwaz Arabs) ................................................................................ 150 6.4.3 Baluchis (Balochs) ..................................................................................................... 155 6.4.4 Azerbaijani (Azeri) Turks .......................................................................................... 157 6.4.5 Khavaris and Afghan-origin communities deprived of Iranian citizenship ............ 159 6.5 Treatment of women ....................................................................................................... 162 6.5.1 Freedom of movement ............................................................................................ 162 6.5.2 Marriage, divorce, adultery, premarital relations .................................................. 164 6.5.3 Violence against women .......................................................................................... 171 6.5.4 Dress and gender segregation ................................................................................. 173 6.5.5 Treatment of women perceived to have transgressed other social mores .......... 175 6.6 Treatment of individuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities ........... 177 6.6.1 Legal situation and treatment by the state............................................................