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 (J ANUARY 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 ...................................................................... 19.16 Prosecution of apostates.........................................................