The recent violent crackdown against Iranian activists intensified after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei stated that public protests against the disputed election must cease. Tehran’s prosecutor general publicly announced that more than 2,500 people were detained in Tehran alone, with over 500 still in detention. In addition, 242 people have been detained at their homes or places of work by unidentified agents and taken to undisclosed locations, including 25 journalists and 87 students. Tehran’s police chief admitted 20 fatalities, but other estimates have put the number at more than 30. Foreign media or foreign officials were not exempted in the crackdown, and technologically savvy students were especially targeted in dormitory raids, which killed at least two students. Saeed Mortazavi, a prosecutor of the Islamic Revolutionary Court who is reputed to use coercion and torture to obtain confessions, is leading the investigation of detained activists, creating fears that many of the activists will be tortured or detained indefinitely.  

This unrest exemplifies long-standing human rights concerns in Iran. Although political and social restrictions were eased under President Mohammad Khatami, since 2005 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has increased the power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which renewed a clamp down on human rights citing national security concerns. The following provides a brief overview of human rights conditions in Iran.

Political Opposition
Although Iran has over 200 registered political parties, only a few are active and all are required to work within the limited government framework. Activists who advocate views outside of what is officially accepted can be subject to beatings, imprisonment and prosecution.  Similar to recent events, more than 1,000 students were arrested during protests in 1999 and 2003. Officials have limited the ability for groups to assemble by cutting off national SMS service, labeling activists as pawns of foreign entities and calling protests acts of treason.

Freedom of Expression
Freedom House ranks Iran 181 out of 195 in global press freedom and 17 out of 19 in the Middle East region. The government controls radio and TV broadcasts; satellite receivers can be confiscated. Government officials regularly issue gag orders and close independent newspapers that publish critical comments on the government. They also prosecute journalists in a special press court for using words offensive to Iran or Islam. Since Ahmadinejad came to power in 2001, over 570 newspapers have been closed. 

While Internet penetration is estimated at about 25 percent, Iran utilizes sophisticated technology for censoring the Internet and other digital medium. All Web sites and blogs that originate in Iran must obtain licensing from the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance, and external Web sites are filtered to block subjects such as democracy and human rights. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, Okrut and Twitter; video sharing Web sites, such as YouTube; and certain blogs and blog aggregators are also often blocked. Iranians have been able to circumvent the restrictions by using proxies and other technologies to access the sites.

Religion
The Iranian constitution protects specific minority religious groups, such Zoroastrians and some Christians and Jewish populations, as "people of the Book." The Baha'i faith is not recognized by the Iranian constitution, and Baha'is have been forcefully repressed and denied the right to practice or even acknowledge their religious beliefs, which are routinely castigated in the official media and state sermons.  Security services have imprisoned many Baha'i leaders, who are charged with being mofsed fil arz, or corrupt on earth, a crime punishable by death.

Sexual Orientation
Iran’s official stance is that there is no homosexuality in Iran. International human rights organizations have long documented acts of persecution and violence committed against homosexuals. Punishments for acts of homosexuality range from lashes to execution.  Late last year, the Iranian judiciary formed the Special Protection Division, a new institution that empowers volunteers to police moral crimes, such as homosexuality, in the private domain.

Worker Protection
Although a member of the International Labor Organization, Iranian workers are denied many established labor standards protections, including:  the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining, abolition of forced labor, abolition of child labor, prohibition of employment and occupation related discrimination, standards regulating wages and conditions of work. While Iranian workers have actively sought to form independent unions, they are only allowed to join carefully regulated associations, such as the Islamic Labor Councils.

Women’s Rights
Despite women’s active role in the Iranian Revolution, systemic gender discrimination permeates Iran. Women do not have the same legal rights as men, especially in cases of divorce, child custody, inheritance or judicial processing. While women represent 63 percent of college students, they face significant economic and employment barriers, and have difficulty obtaining public sector jobs. The state forcefully represses the women’s movement, evident in part by the arrest of women leaders of One Million Signature Campaign, a petition that seeks a reform of gender discriminatory laws.

Legal Access
Iranians can be detained without legal council and their cases can be tried without access to the evidence against them. Confessions are often coerced using torture and other ill-treatment. Stoning and honor killings are still permitted, and executions, including of minors, are carried out at high rates. To date, 257 executions have been carried out this year, with 52 in July alone.

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This brief was prepared by NDI’s Kristin Kooiman

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Published on July 17, 2009