A/RES/59/205
(c) The visit of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights
on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to
the Islamic Republic of Iran in November 2003 and his subsequent report; 7
(d) The visit of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights
on the human rights of migrants to the Islamic Republic of Iran in February 2004;
(e) The recommendation by the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic
of Iran to judges in December 2002 that they choose alternative punishment in cases
where the sentence of stoning would otherwise be imposed;
(f) The announcement by the head of the judiciary in April 2004 of the ban
on torture and the subsequent passage of related legislation by the Parliament, which
was approved by the Guardian Council in May 2004;
(g)
society;
The efforts of the elected Government to foster the growth of civil
(h) The human rights dialogues between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a
number of countries;
(i) The cooperation with United Nations agencies in developing programmes
in the field of human rights, good governance and the rule of law;
2.
Expresses its serious concern at:
(a)
The continuing violations of human rights in the Islamic Republic of
Iran;
(b) The worsening situation with regard to freedom of opinion and
expression and freedom of the media, especially the increased persecution for the
peaceful expression of political views, including arbitrary arrest and detention
without charge or trial; crackdowns by the judiciary and security forces against
journalists, parliamentarians, students, clerics and academics; the unjustified closure
of newspapers and blocking of Internet sites; the targeted disqualification of large
numbers of prospective candidates in the Majlis elections as well as the intimidation
and harassment of opposition activists in the run-up to the elections held in
February 2004;
(c) The continuing executions in the absence of respect for internationally
recognized safeguards, and in particular deplores the execution of persons below
18 years of age, contrary to the obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran under
article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child4 and article 6 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,2 as well as public executions;
(d) The use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading
punishment, in particular the practice of amputation and flogging, noting in this
context the rejection by the Guardian Council in August 2003 of the proposal of the
elected parliament to accede to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; 8
(e) The continued restrictions on free assembly and the forcible dissolution
of political parties;
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7
8
2
E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.2.
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1465, No. 24841.