IRAN COUNTRY ASSESSMENT April 2003 Country Information and Policy Unit IMMIGRATION & NATIONALITY DIRECTORATE HOME OFFICE, UNITED KINGDOM Iran April 2003 CONTENTS 1. SCOPE OF DOCUMENT 1.1 - 1.4 2. GEOGRAPHY 2.1 - 2.2 Economy 2.3 - 2.10 3. HISTORY 3.1 Pre - 1979 3.2 - 3.3 1979 - 1989 3.4 - 3.9 1990 - 1996 3.10 - 3.13 1997 - 1999 3.14 - 3.20 2000 3.21 - 3.28 2001 to Current 3.29 - 3.37 4. STATE STRUCTURES Political System and Constitution 4.1 - 4.6 Citizenship 4.7 - 4.9 Political Parties 4.10 - 4.14 Judiciary 4.15 - 4.33 Military Service 4.34 - 4.36 Internal Security 4.37 - 4.43 Legal Rights and Detention 4.44 - 4.48 Death Penalty 4.49 - 4.51 Prisons 4.52 - 4.56 Medical Services 4.57 Drug Addiction 4.58 - 4.59 Drugs 4.60 Psychiatric 4.61 - 4.63 People with Disabilities 4.64 HIV/AIDS 4.65 - 4.67 Education 4.68 - 4.71 5. HUMAN RIGHTS: OVERVIEW 5.1 - 5.13 Freedom of Speech and the Media 5.14 - 5.20 Press Law 5.21 - 5.38 Internet and Satellite 5.39 - 5.42 Freedom of Religion 5.43 - 5.49 Legal Framework 5.50 - 5.51 Sunni Muslims 5.52 Christians 5.53 - 5.57 Apostasy/Conversions 5.58 - 5.61 Jews 5.62 - 5.67 Zoroastrians 5.68 - 5.69 Sabeans (Mandaeans) 5.70 Baha'is 5.71 - 5.83 Freedom of Assembly and Association 5.84 - 5.89 Employment Rights 5.90 - 5.96 Trafficking 5.97 Freedom of Movement 5.81 - 5.106 Refugees in Iran 5.107 - 5.111 5.B. HUMAN RIGHTS: SPECIFIC GROUPS Ethnic minority groups 5.112 Kurds 5.113 - 5.115 Arabs 5.116 - 5.123 Baluchis 5.124 - 5.125 Azeris 5.126 - 5.128 Women 5.129 - 5.143 The Hijab 5.144 - 5.146 Marriage 5.147 - 5.150 Divorce 5.151 - 5.155 Abortion 5.156 - 5.157 Children 5.158 - 5.161 Iran April 2003 Homosexuals/Transsexuals 5.162 - 5.172 Political Dissent 5.173 - 5.178 Mojahedin-e Khalq 5.179 - 5.180 Rastakhiz Party and Monarchists 5.181 - 5.183 Savak 5.184 Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran 5.185 - 5.187 Komala 5.188 5. HUMAN RIGHTS: OTHER ISSUES Adultery 5.189 - 5.195 Illegal Drugs Situation 5.196 - 5.204 Exiles/Dissidents outside Iran 5.205 - 5.208 ANNEX A: CHRONOLOGY of EVENTS ANNEX B: POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS ANNEX C: PROMINENT PEOPLE ANNEX D: REFERENCES to SOURCE MATERIAL Back to Contents 1. SCOPE OF DOCUMENT 1.1. This assessment has been produced by the Country Information and Policy Unit, Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Home Office, from information obtained from a wide variety of recognised sources. The document does not contain any Home Office opinion or policy. 1.2. The assessment has been prepared for background purposes for those involved in the asylum/human rights determination process. The information it contains is not exhaustive. It concentrates on the issues most commonly raised in asylum/human rights claims made in the United Kingdom. 1.3. The assessment is sourced throughout. It is intended to be used by caseworkers as a signpost to the source material, which has been made available to them. The vast majority of the source material is readily available in the public domain. These sources have been checked for currency, and as far as can be ascertained, remained relevant and up to date at the time the document was issued. 1.4. It is intended to revise the assessment on a six-monthly basis while the country remains within the top 35 asylum-seeker producing countries in the United Kingdom. Back to Contents Iran April 2003 2. GEOGRAPHY 2.1. The Islamic Republic of Iran Persia until 1935 lies in western Asia, and is bounded on the north by the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, by Turkey and Iraq to the west, by the Persian Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south, and by Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east. It has an area of 1.6 to 1.7 million square km. 636,000 to 635.000 sq.[1a][4j] The climate is one of extremes. It is a land of desert and mountain and is in the main semi-arid with, by contrast, a sub tropical climate in the north and northwest along parts of the Caspian coast. [1a] This is a result of the considerable rainfall that falls in these areas. The Caspian coast has a hot and humid climate and this region is by far the most densely populated. [1a] The capital city is Teheran, with an estimated population of 12 - 15 million. [26d] The towns of Mashad, Esfahan, Tabriz and Shiraz each have populations of 1 - 3 million; the total population of Iran is an estimated 66 million 2001 estimate. [1a] [4j] [36] 2.2. The principal language is Farsi Persian and Persian dialects, spoken by about 58 per cent of the population. 26 per cent of the population are Turkic-speaking, Kurdish 9 per cent, Arab 3 per cent, Lur 2 per cent, Baloch 2 per cent, Turkmen 2 per cent and others 1 per cent. [1a] [4j] The national flag comprises three unequal horizontal stripes of green, white and red, with the emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran the stylised word Allah centrally positioned in red and the inscription “God is Great” on the Red and Green stripes. [1a] Economy 2.3. Pre - Revolutionary Iran ‘s economic development was rapid. Traditionally an agricultural society, in 1961 Iran initiated a series of economic, social and administrative reforms that became known as the Shahs White Revolution [1a]. The core of this program was land reform. By the 1970’s, Iran had achieved significant industrialisation and economic modernisation however the pace of growth had started to slow by the late 70’s. [4j]. Since the Revolution in 1979 increased central control, the disruption caused by the Iran/Iraq war and a general decline in oil prices in late 1985 had a detrimental effect on the economy. [1a] [4j] 2.4. In March 1989, Khomeini approved President Rafsanjani’s 5-year plan for economic development. [4j] Since then Iran’s five-year economic plans have emphasised a gradual move towards a market orientated economy and the development of the private sector. The third five-year plan, which came into force in March 2000, commits the government to an ambitious programme of liberalisation, diversification and privatisation and the creation of 3.8m new jobs by 2005. The resolution of Iran's external debt problems have eased the policymaking environment, and facilitated the unification of the exchange rate at the start of 2002, but significant political obstacles to rapid reform remain. [24a] However a lack of consensus on the privatisation drive has resulted in delay. [5ad] 2.5. Today, Iran’ economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture and small scale businesses. [1a] [4j] [24a] It has been stated by an Iranian official [5ae] that the unemployment rate is 14 per cent nationwide whilst the International Money Fund IMFhas put it as high as 16 per cent. Iran April 2003 [5af] However figures quoted in the US State Department country report for 2002 released in April 2003 have estimated unemployment to be between 20 and 25 percent, and inflation at approximately 18 to 20 percent. [4m] The Iranian press also reported in September 2002 that some 12 million out of a population of 66 million live below the poverty line. [5ag] 2.6. Large charitable foundations called bonyads, most with strong connections to the Government, controlled the extensive properties and business expropriated from the Pahlavi family and from other figures associated with the monarchy. The bonyads exercised considerable influence on the economy, but neither accounted publicly for revenue nor paid taxes. Legislation was introduced in the Majlis during the year, which would require the bonyads to pay taxes at the rate of 25 percent. It was not yet clear if this legislation became law. [4m] 2.7. A key factor in Iran’s economic prospects is whether it will be able to gain full re- admittance to the international trading community World Trading Organisation WTO membership etc, which will depend in large part upon the outcome of the political contest in Tehran and the success of Iran’s policy of détente towards the outside world. [1a] [21w][5ax] 2.8. Whilst the Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has said that UNCTAD supports Tehran's will to join the WTO currently the United States administration is opposed to Iran gaining membership of the WTO. It is to be expected that non-members will suffer grave economic losses in future years as a result of the majority of the International Community following the same trade policies. [5ac] 2.9. In its annual review September 2002 of the Iranian economy the IMF, notwithstanding concerns over unemployment rates and fiscal policy concluded that the economy had performed well during the year [5af] and the World Bank is planning to lend Iran $755m over the next two years although opposition from some of the World Bank's shareholders is to be expected. [21x] 2.10. In March 2003 the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Iran for Economic Affairs Akbar Kimanji reported that Iran's foreign debt stood at 23.438bn dollars up to end 20 January 2003.