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 ...................................................... 3.07 From 2009 to May 2010 ........................................................................................ 3.08 Presidential election – 12 June 2009.................................................................. 3.08 Demonstrations and aftermath of the election ............................................... 3.13 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JUNE 2010 TO 13 MAY 2011) ............................................ 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 (‘Pasdaran’)............................................. 9.09 Qods / Quds Force ............................................................................................. 9.16 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 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 13 May 2011. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 21 June 2011. JUNE 2011 IRAN Torture ................................................................................................................ 9.44 Amputation and floggings ................................................................................... 9.52 Extra-judicial killings ........................................................................................... 9.56 10. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 10.01 11. JUDICIARY ................................................................................................................ 11.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 11.01 Court structure ................................................................................................... 11.04 Mechanisms for redress outside of the judiciary ................................................ 11.09 Independence ....................................................................................................... 11.10 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 11.15 Trial in absentia .................................................................................................. 11.21 Double jeopardy (ne bis in idem) ........................................................................ 11.24 Bail ..................................................................................................................... 11.25 Penal code ............................................................................................................ 11.28 Knowledge of the judge ...................................................................................... 11.36 Crimes committed outside Iran ........................................................................... 11.40 Court documentation ........................................................................................... 11.41 Summonses ....................................................................................................... 11.41 Arrest warrants ................................................................................................... 11.49 Reporting ............................................................................................................ 11.52 Court verdicts and issuance/enforcement of judgments ..................................... 11.53 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 14.01 Stoning .................................................................................................................. 14.18 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION.............................................................................................. 15.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 15.01 Events during and after the 2009 Presidential elections..................................... 15.05 Political dissidents outside Iran ......................................................................... 15.16 Political prisoners ............................................................................................... 15.23 Freedom of association and assembly ............................................................... 15.29 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 15.38 Green Movement ............................................................................................... 15.42 Student activists ................................................................................................ 15.47 Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK/MKO) aka People‘s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) or Holy Warriors of the People ......... 15.61 Monarchists ........................................................................................................ 15.75 Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI, also DPIK) .......................................... 15.81 Komala ............................................................................................................... 15.86 Partiya Jiyana Azada Kurdistan (PJAK) – Kurdistan Free Life Party .................. 15.92 People‘s Resistance Movement of Iran (PMRI) aka Jondallah or Jundullah ...... 15.97 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ............................................................................... 16.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 16.01 Print media ............................................................................................................ 16.08 TV / radio ..............................................................................................................