Concluding Observations Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4 para 50 Full recommendation: The Committee urges the State party to take measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief and to ensure that members of religious minority groups, in particular persons of the Baha’i faith, are not persecuted, imprisoned or ill-treated on account of their religion. The Committee also recommends that the State party review its hijab laws and regulations and ensure that the right of girls to wear or not to wear the hijab is fully respected. Assessment using Impact Iran indicators1 A. Prevent and eliminate discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief and to ensure that members of religious minority groups, in particular persons of the Baha’i faith are not persecuted Article 20 of the Iranian Constitution states that “All citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, in conformity with Islamic criteria”. Additionally, Article 23 of the Constitution stipulates that “the investigation of individuals’ beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.” 2 However, religion or belief is not a protected characteristic against discrimination in Iranian law.3 The lack of legal safeguards results in the instituting of discriminatory policies and practices, particularly targeting Baha’is. In 1991, the Government institutionalised a policy against Baha’í citizens in a memorandum entitled ‘The Baha’í Question’, produced by Iran’s Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council and approved by the Supreme Leader. The document outlines a series of measures aiming to restrict Iranian Baha’ís access to education, economic and cultural life. Although the Government affirmed that the Baha’is had not been singled out for discrimination,4 the document remains intact today. On 26 March 2018, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued, via his website, a new religious decree (fatwa) concerning “association and 1 CCPR.18.1.S.1; CCPR.18.1.P.1; CCPR.18.O.4; CCPR.19.2.S.1; CCPR18.1.P.6. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, http://www.iranchamber.com/government/laws/constitution_ch03.php 3 Article 19 The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran English translation http://www.iranchamber.com/government/laws/constitution_ch03.php 4 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement 2 1

Select target paragraph3