COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN, FROM 2 FEBRUARY 2009 TO 16 MARCH 2009 REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 2 FEBRUARY 2009 TO 16 MARCH 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 1.01 Maps .............................................................................................. 1.03 Iran............................................................................................. 1.03 Tehran ....................................................................................... 1.04 2. ECONOMY ............................................................................................ 2.01 Sanctions ...................................................................................... 2.13 3. HISTORY ............................................................................................... 3.01 Calendar ........................................................................................ 3.02 Pre 1979......................................................................................... 3.03 1979 to 1999 .................................................................................. 3.05 2000 to date................................................................................... 3.16 Student unrest .............................................................................. 3.25 Parliamentary elections – February 2004................................... 3.41 Presidential elections – June 2005 ............................................. 3.47 Elections – 2006 ........................................................................... 3.54 Elections – 2008 ........................................................................... 3.56 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ....................................................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ...................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................ 6.01 Political parties............................................................................. 6.05 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 7.01 8. CRIME ................................................................................................... 8.01 Arazel va obash ............................................................................ 8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES................................................................................. 9.01 Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Aminat-e Keshvar (VEVAK) aka Ettela’at .......... 9.09 Basij............................................................................................... 9.12 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or Pasdaran...................... 9.18 Ansar-e Hezbollah ........................................................................ 9.19 Ashura Brigades........................................................................... 9.20 Torture........................................................................................... 9.22 10. MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................... 10.01 11. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.06 Independence ............................................................................... 11.09 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 1 February 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 16 March 2009. 17 MARCH 2009 IRAN Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.18 Penal code................................................................................. 11.29 Knowledge of the judge ............................................................. 11.33 Court documentation ................................................................... 11.39 Amputation ................................................................................... 11.42 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 association and assembly ...................................... 15.01 16. OPPOSITION GROUPS AND POLITICAL ACTIVISTS................................... 16.01 Political dissent ............................................................................ 16.01 Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK / MKO) or People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) ................................. 16.05 Rastakhiz Party and Monarchists ............................................... 16.19 Savak ............................................................................................. 16.22 Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) aka PDKI................... 16.23 Komala .......................................................................................... 16.31 Partiya Jiyana Azada Kurdistan (PJAK) or Kurdistan Free Life Party ....................................................................................... 16.37 17. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ........................................................ 17.01 Treatment of journalists .............................................................. 17.24 Internet and satellite .................................................................... 17.28 18. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Legal framework........................................................................... 19.14 Sunni Muslims .............................................................................. 19.16 Christians...................................................................................... 19.20 Apostasy / conversions.............................................................. 19.26 Apostasy bill............................................................................... 19.37 Jews............................................................................................... 19.41 Zoroastrians.................................................................................. 19.47 Sabeans (Mandeans or Madaeans)............................................. 19.54 Baha’is........................................................................................... 19.56 Ahl-e Haq (Yaresan) ..................................................................... 19.88 Sufis............................................................................................... 19.90 20. ETHNIC GROUPS .................................................................................. 20.01 Kurds ............................................................................................. 20.07 Arabs ............................................................................................. 20.20 Baluchis ........................................................................................ 20.40 Azeris............................................................................................. 20.52 Qashqais ....................................................................................... 20.61 21. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS....................... 21.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 21.01 Legislative position and penalties.............................................. 21.05 Evidence and repenting ............................................................. 21.08 Enforcement of the laws and executions................................... 21.11 Social Protection Division .......................................................... 21.35 Government attitudes .................................................................. 21.42 Societal attitudes.......................................................................... 21.46 Transgender and transsexuals ................................................... 21.50 22. DISABILITY .......................................................................................... 22.01 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 1 February 2009. Further brief iii information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 16 March 2009. IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 23. WOMEN............................................................................................... 23.01