In 2018 and 2019 alone, more than 53 Sunni Muslims, including clerics, have reportedly been arrested and a number of them charged with national security-related crimes, including “propaganda against the state” and “membership in Salafist groups”. 21 Sunni Arabs face much of the same discrimination as other persecuted religions in Iran. Reports show that members of the Sunni minority have been arrested, especially in Khuzestan for acts such as praying publicly.22 Sunnis are often arrested arbitrarily on unknown charges and with limited information on their whereabouts.23 Currently, according to non-governmental sources, there are 52 individuals imprisoned due to their religious activities, which include activities related to non-recognized religions, spreading teachings, apostasy, and proselytizing, among others.24 Of these 52 prisoners, 12 are Baha’is, 15 are Christians and 5 are Sunni Muslims. Other sources have reported the imprisonment of 29 individuals for converting to Christianity in 2018 and 2019, out of whom 18 have been released with or without bail since their arrest, five were serving five-year prison sentences, and two had yet to be charged as of May 2020.25 Hate crimes – including religious motived killings and desecration of cemeteries, particularly against Baha’is - have not been investigated by the Iranian authorities. 26 Children belonging to non-recognized religions are not allowed to receive education in line with their beliefs and there are reports of children from recognized religions being denied this right and forced to study Shi’a Islam or risk being expelled from their educational facilities. 27 Despite the existence of several mechanisms responsible for accepting complaints regarding all violations against citizens, including discrimination based on religion and belief (e.g. the Article 90 Commission of the parliament and Oversight Bodies for the Exercise of Citizenship Rights in the country's provincial courts), there is no evidence to suggest that these complaints are independently reviewed and investigated. According to the Government, the Charter of Citizenship Rights, decreed by the President in 2016, functioned as an administrative mechanism providing guidance for the implementation of 21 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 22 Center For Human Right in Iran, August 2017 https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2017/08/sunni-arabs-beaten-and-arrested-iniran-for-praying-in-public/ 23 HRANA, September 6, 2018 https://www.en-hrana.org/authorities-unforthcoming-on-status-of-sunniprisoner?hilite=%27sunni%27 and HRANA, August 12, 2018 https://www.en-hrana.org/prisoner-of-conscience-namegh-deldelon-hunger-strike?hilite=%27sunni%27 24 United 4 Iran, Iran Prison Atlas project - https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/ 25 Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from The World Evangelical Alliance, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Middle East Concern, Article 18, 29 May 2020 , https://articleeighteen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/F3430b2020-JointReport_Iran_HRCttee_ListOfIssues-dragged-1.pdf 26 https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/UPR34_Iran_FactSheet_Religious_Minorities_v.2.pdf 27 Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 2017: http://www.csw.org.uk/2017/09/07/news/3694/article.htm 4