cultural rights to citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran.5 However, all children, regardless of
their legal status, can have access to the national education system. 6
Education in the child’s mother tongue is not guaranteed in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Article
15 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran identifies Persian as the official language
but permits the use of “regional and ethnic languages in the press, the mass media, and the
teaching of their literature at schools, alongside the Persian language…”7 However, the
restrictive language of Article 15 does not protect fully the right of minorities to learn and teach
in their mother tongue. Although Article 101 of the Charter on Citizens’ Rights recognizes the
right of citizens to learn, use and teach their own local language and dialect,8 the Charter is not
legally binding. The Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of
Iran raised concerns about reports of Kurdish, Ahwazi Arab and Azerbaijani-Turk (or AzeriTurk) lacking access to education in their mother tongues. 9 10 These concerns were echoed by
the U.N Secretary General, 11 12 13 noting reports indicating that members of ethno-linguistic
minorities, including the Azeri community as well as Arabs, were being denied the opportunity
to teach their language in schools. 14 The reported state-imposed ban on Azeri-Turkish being
taught in school would go some way in explaining such struggle. 15 The Ministry of Education
has reportedly circulated reminders to teachers and school administrators that the use of Kurdish
and Turkish languages inside public schools is forbidden.16 Furthermore, Kurdish language
teachers have been facing harassment and persecution.17 18 Education in some minority
5
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/constitutionenglish-1368.pdf
6
Report of the UN Secretary General, January 2020, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf
7
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/constitutionenglish-1368.pdf
8
Charter on Citizens’ Rights, English translation, http://president.ir/en/96865
9
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_Special_Rapporteur_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_
Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4361.pdf
10
See more : Association for the human rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CRC_NGO_IRN_19735_E.pdf
11
IRNA News, www.irna.ir/news/83404283/ (in Farsi).
12
Report of the U.N. Secretary General, January 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf
13
Report of the U.N. Secretary General, January 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf
14
Report of the U.N. Secretary General, August 2019, https://undocs.org/en/A/74/273
15
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://iranhumanrights.org/2019/03/irans-intelligence-ministry-slaps-azeri-rights-activistwith-new-charges-claim-hes-organizing-protests-from-prison/
16
Minority Groups, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-against-ethnic-andreligious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf
17
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human Rights in
Kurdistan – Geneva, Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani People in Iran, Iran Human Rights Documentation
Center, OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf
18
Radio Zamaneh: < https://www.radiozamaneh.com/519191>
2