COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT IRAN 6 AUGUST 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 6 AUGUST 2009 IRAN Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN FROM 3 JULY TO 6 AUGUST 2009 REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 3 JULY AND 6 AUGUST 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 1.01 Maps .............................................................................................. 1.03 Iran............................................................................................. 1.03 Tehran ....................................................................................... 1.04 2. ECONOMY ............................................................................................. 2.01 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 ........................................................................... 3.53 Elections – 2008 ........................................................................... 3.55 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ....................................................................... 4.01 Nuclear developments ................................................................. 4.01 Presidential elections – June 2009 ............................................. 4.04 The Candidates............................................................................. 4.05 Demonstrations ........................................................................... 4.08 Iran detains British Embassy staff ............................................. 4.15 5. CONSTITUTION ...................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................ 6.01 Political parties............................................................................. 6.04 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 7.01 8. CRIME ................................................................................................... 8.01 Arazel va obash ............................................................................ 8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES................................................................................. 9.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 9.01 Police............................................................................................. 9.06 Law enforcement forces ............................................................ 9.07 Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps or Pasdaran.................... 9.08 Qods Force ................................................................................ 9.12 Basij ........................................................................................... 9.14 Ansar-e Hezbollah ..................................................................... 9.16 Armed forces ................................................................................ 9.18 Other organisations ..................................................................... 9.20 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 2 July 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 6 August 2009 6 AUGUST 2009 IRAN Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Aminat-e Keshvar (VEVAK) aka Ettela’at ............... 9.20 Arbitrary arrest and detention..................................................... 9.22 Torture........................................................................................... 9.24 Extra judicial killings.................................................................... 9.29 10. MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................... 10.01 11. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.01 Complaints................................................................................. 11.09 Independence ............................................................................... 11.10 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.16 Trial in absentia ......................................................................... 11.19 Bail............................................................................................. 11.21 Enforcement of Judgements...................................................... 11.22 Penal code .................................................................................... 11.23 Qisas (retribution) ...................................................................... 11.30 Knowledge of the judge ............................................................. 11.32 Court documentation ................................................................... 11.37 Summonses............................................................................... 11.37 Arrest warrants .......................................................................... 11.44 Reporting ................................................................................... 11.48 Amputation ................................................................................... 11.49 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS............................................................................ 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY.................................................................................. 14.01 Stoning .......................................................................................... 14.14 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION........................................................................ 15.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 15.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 15.02 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 15.04 Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK/MKO) or People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) ..................................... 15.05 Rastakhiz Party and Monarchists .............................................. 15.15 Savak......................................................................................... 15.17 Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) aka PDKI................... 15.18 Komala....................................................................................... 15.22 Partiya Jiyana Azada Kurdistan (PJAK) or Kurdistan Free Life Party.................................................................................... 15.26 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ........................................................ 16.01 Print media.................................................................................... 16.04 TV/radio ......................................................................................... 16.07 Internet .......................................................................................... 16.09 Academic freedom ....................................................................... 16.11 Treatment of journalists .............................................................. 16.12 Treatment of bloggers................................................................ 16.17 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ............ 17.01 18. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Religious demography ............................................................... 19.08 Legal framework........................................................................... 19.09 Apostasy (conversion from Islam).............................................. 19.12 Apostasy bill............................................................................... 19.15 Prosecution of apostates ........................................................... 19.20 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 2 July 2009. iii Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 6 August 2009 6 AUGUST 2009 IRAN Sunni Muslims .............................................................................