children under “extreme danger” (article 33) from abuse and exploitation, as well as by
criminalizing several forms of female genital mutilation.
Despite the above highlighted improvements, the new law has been found lacking in some
regards and human rights organizations have pointed out that, even with these protections in
place, if the murder that prompted lawmakers to draft the bill in the first place had occurred after
its passing, the father of the young child who was murdered would still face a minor sentence (310 years). 5Additionally the bill doesn’t deal with issues of children affected by armed conflict.
There is insufficient information to argue for the positive effects of the new child protection law,
yet there is evidence that the recent COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated cases of child abuse in
Iran. Iran’s welfare organization has speculated that (as of August 13, 2020) child abuse
instances had grown fivefold since the beginning of the pandemic.6 Additionally, there are
reports of children being sentenced to flogging for acts considered to be criminal offenses, such
as alcohol consumption.7
b. Put an end to public executions
Public executions are still practiced in the Islamic Republic of Iran and every year a number of public
executions are recorded. In 2018, 13 individuals were reportedly executed in public spaces in Iran.8
According to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran,
there were at least 12 public executions between 1 January and 31 October 2019. 9
The Human Rights Committee has opined that public executions are contrary to Article 7 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights10 and therefore, inevitably render the execution
arbitrary in nature, thus on violation of Article 6.11
c. Ensure that LGBTI children are not subjected to cruel and degrading treatment
such as electric shocks and the administration of hormones and strong psychoactive
medications, and that those responsible for these acts are held accountable.
Human right organizations have reported on Iranian authorities’ recurring practices regarding the
use of a range of coercive medical procedures designed for LGBTI individuals of any age. These
procedures include conversion or reparative therapies, hormone treatments and sex reassignment
and sterilization surgeries.12 A fatwa by the then Supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini in 1986
established the legal framework for diagnosing Trans people with what is called
“Gender Identity Disorder”. Though being Trans is not a crime in Iran, Trans people are forced
to choose between being diagnosed with GID, which leads to coerced gender reassignment
surgeries or sterilization, and criminal prosecution and the possibility of arbitrary arrest. LGBTI
individuals who exhibit same-sex desires and/or gender non-conformity are often diagnosed with
5
Atlantic Council
Atlantic Council
7
Amnesty International
8
https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420-WEB.pdf
9
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G20/021/53/PDF/G2002153.pdf?OpenElement
10
Concluding Observations: Democratic Republic of Korea (2001), para. 13
11
Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 36 (2018) on the right to life, para. 40
12
6RANG. Submission to the UN Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity, March 2019.
6
2