IRAN TIER 1 | USCIRF-RECOMMENDED COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN (CPC) KEY FINDINGS During the past year, the government of Iran engaged in because of their beliefs has increased, despite the government systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious free- releasing some religious prisoners of conscience during the dom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions reporting period. While Iran’s clerical establishment continued based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused. to express anti-Semitic sentiments, the level of anti-Semitic Severe violations targeting religious minorities—especially rhetoric from government officials has diminished during Pres- Baha’is, Christian converts, and Sunni Muslims—continued ident Rouhani’s tenure. Since 1999, the State Department has unabated. Sufi Muslims and dissenting Shi’a Muslims also designated Iran as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, faced harassment, arrests, and imprisonment. Since President under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), most Hassan Rouhani was elected in 2013, the number of individ- recently in October 2016. USCIRF again recommends in 2017 uals from religious minority communities who are in prison that Iran be designated a CPC. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT • Continue to designate Iran as a CPC severe violations of religious freedom, • Use appropriated funds to advance under IRFA; freeze those individuals’ assets, and Internet freedom and protect Iranian • Ensure that violations of freedom of bar their entry into the United States, activists by supporting the devel- religion or belief and related human as delineated under the Comprehen- opment and accessibility of new rights are part of multilateral or bilateral sive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and technologies and programs to counter discussions with the Iranian govern- Divestment Act (CISADA) and related censorship and to facilitate the free ment whenever possible, and continue executive orders, citing specific religious flow of information in and out of Iran. to work closely with European and freedom violations; other allies to apply pressure through • Call on Iran to cooperate fully with the The U.S. Congress should: a combination of advocacy, diplomacy, UN Special Rapporteur on the human • Reauthorize the Lautenberg Amend- and targeted sanctions for religious rights situation in Iran, including allow- ment, which aids persecuted Iranian freedom abuses; ing the Special Rapporteur—and the religious minorities and other specified UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of • Continue to speak out publicly and groups seeking refugee status in the religion or belief—to visit; frequently at the highest levels about United States, and work to provide the the severe religious freedom abuses in • Continue to support an annual UN president with permanent authority Iran, press for and work to secure the General Assembly resolution con- to designate as refugees specifically release of all prisoners of conscience, demning severe violations of human defined groups based on shared and highlight the need for the interna- rights—including freedom of religion characteristics identifying them as tional community to hold authorities or belief—in Iran and calling for officials targets for persecution on account of accountable in specific cases; responsible for such violations to be race, religion, nationality, membership • Continue to identify Iranian government held accountable; and in a particular social group, or political agencies and officials responsible for opinion. U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM | ANNUAL REPORT 2017 www.USCIRF.gov | [email protected] | @USCIRF TIER 1 TIER IRAN BACKGROUND (“enmity against God”) and sabb al-nabi (“insulting the The Islamic Republic of Iran is a constitutional, theo- prophets”). Since the 1979 revolution, many members cratic republic that proclaims the Twelver (Shi’a) Jaafari of minority religious communities have fled in fear of School of Islam to be the official religion of the country. persecution. Killings, arrests, and physical abuse of The constitution stipulates that followers of five other detainees have increased in recent years, including for schools of thought within Islam—Maliki, Hanafi, Shafi’i, religious minorities and Muslims who dissent or express Hanbali, and Zaydi—should be accorded respect and views perceived as threatening the government’s legit- permitted to perform their religious rites. The constitu- imacy. The government continues to use its religious tion also recognizes Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians laws to silence reformers—including human rights as protected religious minorities, and five (out of a activists, journalists, and women’s rights advocates—for total of 290) seats in the exercising their interna- parliament are reserved tionally protected rights to freedom of expression for these groups (two for Despite publicly releasing . a nonbinding and religion or belief. Armenian Christians Charter on Citizens’ Rights—which Despite publicly and one each for Assyr- includes provisions to releasing in Decem- ian Christians, Jews, respect freedom of thought and ber 2016 a nonbinding and Zoroastrians). With religious belief for all citizens— Charter on Citizens’ an overall population President Rouhani has not delivered Rights—which includes of just over 80 million, on his promises to strengthen civil liberties provisions to respect Iran is approximately for religious minorities. 99 percent Muslim—90 freedom of thought and percent Shi’a and 9 per- religious belief for all citi- cent Sunni. According zens—President Rouhani to recent estimates, religious minority communities has not delivered on his promises to strengthen civil constitute about 1 percent of the population and include liberties for religious minorities. Even some of the con- Yarsan (approximately one million), Baha’is (more than stitutionally recognized non-Muslim minorities—Jews, 300,000), various Christian denominations (nearly Armenian and Assyrian Christians, and Zoroastrians— 300,000), Zoroastrians (30,000 to 35,000), Jews (20,000), face official harassment, intimidation, discrimination, and Sabean-Mandaeans (5,000 to 10,000). arrests, and imprisonment. Some majority Shi’a and Nevertheless, the government of Iran discriminates minority Sunni Muslims, including clerics who dissent, against its citizens on the basis of religion or belief, as all were intimidated, harassed, and detained. Dissident laws and regulations are based on unique Shi’a Islamic Muslims and human rights defenders were increasingly criteria. Under Iran’s penal code, it is a capital crime subject to abuse, and several were sentenced to death for non-Muslims to convert Muslims, as is moharebeh and executed for “enmity against God.” U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM | ANNUAL REPORT 2017 www.USCIRF.gov | [email protected] | @USCIRF TIER 1 TIER IRAN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONDITIONS ing prison terms or had cases pending against them. 2016–2017 Iranian state television regularly airs programs demon- Muslims izing Sufism. Over the past few years, the Iranian government has Baha’is imposed harsh prison sentences on prominent reform- The Baha’i community, the largest non-Muslim religious ers from the Shi’a majority community. Authorities minority in Iran, has long been subject to particu- charged many of these reformers with “insulting Islam,” larly severe religious freedom violations. UN officials, criticizing the Islamic Republic, and publishing mate- including former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, have rials that allegedly deviate from Islamic standards. found the Baha’i community to be the “most severely Dissident Shi’a cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Kaze- persecuted religious minority” in Iran, with its members meni Boroujerdi continued to serve an 11-year prison subject to multiple forms of discrimination “that affect sentence, and the government has banned him from their enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights.” practicing his clerical duties and has confiscated his home and belongings. He has suffered physical and mental abuse while in prison. According to human rights groups and the United UN officials, including former Nations (UN), at least 120 Sunni Muslims are in prison Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on charges related to their beliefs and religious activi- have found the Baha’i community ties. In August 2016, approximately 22 Sunni Muslims to be the “most severely persecuted were executed for “enmity against God,” including religious minority” in Iran. Sunni cleric Shahram Ahmadi, who was arrested in 2009 on unfounded security-related charges and reportedly forced to make a false confession. Several The government views Baha’is as “heretics,” and other Sunni Muslims are on death row after having been consequently they face repression on the grounds of convicted of “enmity against God” in unfair judicial apostasy. Since 1979, authorities have killed or executed proceedings. Leaders from the Sunni community have more than 200 Baha’i leaders, and more than 10,000 been unable to build a mosque in Tehran and have have been dismissed from government and university reported widespread abuses and restrictions on their jobs. Over the past 10 years, nearly 1,000 Baha’is have religious practice, including detention and harassment been arbitrarily arrested. of clerics and bans on Sunni teachings in public schools. As of February 2017, at least 90 Baha’is were being Additionally, Iranian authorities have destroyed Sunni held in prison