settle out-of-court. 52 53 State institutions and Iranian authorities have been reportedly unwilling to investigate, punish perpetrators and provide social services to victims of sexual assault or rape.54 In 2014, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that the number of safe houses was insufficient.55 In the context of its 2014 Universal Periodic Review the Government stated that it established 24 ‘rehabilitation centres’ and 31 ‘health centres’ thoughout the country for women and girls who have been subjected to domestic violence.56 According to official sources, there are 400 ‘social emergency shelters’ countrywide that provide services to domestic violence victims, although these shelters are not necessarily specifically designed for domestic violence survivors.57 58 The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran reiterated that the State lacks sufficient domestic violence shelters and reported that there were only 28, established in 27 out of 31 provinces, including 20 run by non-governmental organizations.59 60 61 The Government stipulated that there were 357 social emergency centres for victims of violence and 31 girl-only medical centres.62 The State’s Welfare Organization reported that shelters take approximately 2,000 victims of domestic violence a year.63 In comparison and as aforementioned, 16,420 cases of domestic violence have been reported in 2019, just in Tehran.64 Further, the existing shelters are generally located solely in major cities are reportedly poorly resourced and advertised and are unable to provide long-term support.65 66 Recommendation Status: This recommendation has NOT been implemented. 52 UN General Assembly, ‘Situation of human rights in Iran’ (para 32), 31 August 2015, https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2F70%2F352&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop 53 Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Country Information report, Iran, 2020, https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/country-information-report-iran.pdf 54 Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, 2020, https://iranhrdc.org/access-to-justice-for-victims-of-sexual-violence-iniran/ 55 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2014, https://www.refworld.org/docid/5436a31f4.html 56 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, September 2016, para 59, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N16/304/01/PDF/N1630401.pdf?OpenElement 57 Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Country Information report, Iran, 2020, https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/country-information-report-iran.pdf 58 Report Danish Refugee Council, Ministry of Immigration and Integration Denmark, (p. 28), February 2018, https://www.justice.gov/file/1047171/download 59 See www.irna.ir/news/83656641/ 60 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020, https://undocs.org/A/75/213 61 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2021, https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2Fhrc%2F46%2F50&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop 62 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020, https://undocs.org/A/75/213 63 Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, Centre for Supporters of Human Rights and Minority Rights Group International September 2019, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download 64 Human Rights Activists News Agency, 2019, https://www.en-hrana.org/increase-in-domestic-violence-in-tehran-morethan-16-thousand-cases-were-filed 65 www.hamshahrionline.ir/x66FG; https://www.radiozamaneh.com/488134 (in Persian). 66 Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, Centre for Supporters of Human Rights and Minority Rights Group International September 2019, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download 5