or foreign security of the country or prepare the facilities to commit the aforementioned
crimes.”5
The right to freedom of expression, recognized under Article 24 of the Constitution is similarly
undermined by vague qualifications, such as being “deemed harmful to the principles of Islam or
the rights of the public.” Article 40 further allows for restrictions of rights, including peaceful
assembly, if their exercise is deemed “injurious to others” or “detrimental to public interests.”
Similar provisions restrict the right to freedom of expression online through the criminalization
of vaguely worded offences such as the “dissemination of lies” and conduct deemed to offend
“public morality and chastity.”6
The revised version of the Islamic Penal Code,7 adopted in 2013, maintains numerous provisions
which criminalize the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful
assembly, in contravention of international human rights law and standards. To name a few,
under the Penal Code, the establishment or leadership of a group that “aims to perturb the
security of the country”,8 a variety of acts considered as propaganda9 or conspiracy against the
state (which has been interpreted to include peaceful protests)10 are all criminalized.
Encouragement to “violate public morals”11 as well as satire are also penalized.12 Similar
vaguely worded provisions punish acts such as swearing at13 or insulting14 “the Great Prophet of
Islam” as well as “sowing corruption on earth”15 with the death penalty.
Similarly, the right to information is overbroadly restricted in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The
1986 Press Law, amended in 2000, provides content-based restrictions on traditional and online
media. Reports may only be published in pursuit of one of the five “legitimate objectives”,
including “to campaign against manifestations of imperialistic culture” or “to propagate and
promote genuine Islamic culture and sound ethical principles.” The law prohibits publishing
content on matters, among others, relating to atheism, against the national security, dignity of
interests of the State, insulting Islam or offending religious officials.16
5
Islamic Penal Code (2013), English translation, Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penalcode-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/
6
“Islamic Republic of Iran: Computer Crimes Law,” ARTICLE19, 2012. https://bit.ly/1RecP6R
7
The Islamic Penal Code available at: http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/print_version/845048
8
Article 498 Islamic Penal Code 2013, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penal-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/
9
Article 500 Islamic Penal Code 2013, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penal-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/
10
Article 610 Islamic Penal Code 2013, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penal-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/
11
Article 639 Islamic Penal Code 2013, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penal-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/
12
Article 700 Islamic Penal Code 2013, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penal-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/
13
Article 262 Islamic Penal Code 2013, https://iranhrdc.org/english-translation-of-books-i-ii-of-the-new-islamic-penal-code/
14
Article 513 Islamic Penal Code 2013, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penal-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/
15
Article 286 Islamic Penal Code 2013
16
See more: Article 19, https://www.article19.org/data/files/medialibrary/2921/12-01-30-FINAL-iran-WEB%5B4%5D.pdf
2