A/RES/68/184
Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
3.
Also welcomes the peaceful conduct during voting in the June 2013
presidential elections and the broad participation of the Iranian people, while
expressing concern over the restrictions placed on candidates, including the
exclusion of all women candidates, and the further erosion of democratic space for
political activities prior to the elections;
Further welcomes the recent release of a number of prisoners of
4.
conscience and political prisoners, and continues to call upon the Government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately and unconditionally release all those who
have been arbitrarily arrested and detained for exercising their rights to freedom of
religion or belief, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly or for participating
in peaceful protests about political, economic, environmental or other issues;
Expresses deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights
5.
violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran relating to, inter alia:
(a) Torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,
including flogging and amputations;
(b) The continuing alarming high frequency of the carrying-out of the death
penalty in the absence of internationally recognized safeguards, including public
executions, notwithstanding the issuance of a circular by the former head of the
judiciary prohibiting public executions, and secret group executions, as well as
reports of executions undertaken without the notification of the prisoner’s family
members or legal counsel;
(c) The continuing imposition and carrying-out of the death penalty against
minors and persons who at the time of their offence were under the age of 18, in
violation of the obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the Convention on
the Rights of the Child 6 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights;2
(d) The imposition of the death penalty for crimes that lack a precise and
explicit definition, including moharebeh (enmity against God), and for crimes that
do not qualify as the most serious crimes, in violation of international law;
(e) Widespread and serious restrictions on the right to peaceful assembly,
freedom of association and freedom of opinion and expression, including through
efforts to block, filter or hinder Internet access and content, jam international
satellite transmissions into the Islamic Republic of Iran and censor or close
newspapers, magazines and other publications, including in the lead-up to the June
2013 presidential election;
(f) The systematic targeting and harassment of human rights defenders, who
face arrest, arbitrary detention, long-term exile and harsh sentences, including the
death sentence;
(g) Pervasive gender inequality and violence against women and increased
discrimination against women and girls in law and in practice, as well as restrictions
on access to government decision-making positions and the labour market;
(h) Continued discrimination and other human rights violations, at times
amounting to persecution, against persons belonging to ethnic, linguistic or other
minorities, including Arabs, Azeris, Balochis and Kurds and their defenders, noting
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United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.