and specifically calls on States to guarantee these rights as they are crucial for any type of human
rights work.20
All the aforementioned restrictions fail to meet requirements that are set out in international
standards, including the principle of legality and the requirement that the limitation of rights
must be necessary, proportionate and in pursuit of one of a limited number of narrowly-defined
legitimate aims.21 Consequently, the current Iranian legal framework grants authorities’
significant discretion to impose overbroad and vague restrictions on individuals’ rights, directly
contravening Iran’s international human rights obligations. As freedom of expression, assembly
and association are central to the work of HRDs, they are particularly exposed to restrictions and
repression imposed by the State.
Such risk of restriction and repression has been confirmed in practice. Iranian authorities
frequently rely on the legal framework to intimidate, arrest and prosecute individuals who
peacefully exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly,22 23
reportedly disproportionately targeting members of minorities.24 25 Furthermore, the Government
of Iran has responded to protests with excessive and unlawful use of force.26
Human rights lawyers have increasingly been targeted and repressed. They faced arrests,
detention, and imprisonment solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression,
association and assembly during the course of their professional duty to defend their clients.27
Other human rights defenders, including trade unionists, environmental or abolitionist activists
have also faced increasing levels of harassment and persecution due to their peaceful activities. 28
29 30 31
In his July 2020 report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
20
OHCHR, https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/srhrdefenders/pages/declaration.aspx
Article 19, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
22
See more : Amnesty International, Caught in a web of repression: Iran’s Human Rights Defenders under attack,
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1364462017ENGLISH.PDF
23
While no official figure exists on the number of journalists detained with charges since 2011, documentation on specific cases
of journalists imprisoned by HRANA News Agency, Committee to Protect Journalists, Amnesty International, Centre for Human
Rights on Iran, and Reporters Without Borders and ARTICLE19 suggest the number is over a hundred.
24
See more: Association for the human rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran, http://www.ahraz.org/association-for-the-humanrights-of-the-azerbaijani-people-in-iran-ahrazs-repot-regarding-the-current-situation-of-the-azerbaijani-arrestees-that-arearrested-during-the-recent-protests-nove/
25
See more: Kurdistan Human Rights Geneva, https://kmmk-ge.org/sd/annual-report-2020/
26
The Governmental crackdown on the November 2019 protests is emblematic of Iran’s repression of the rights to freedom of
expression, assembly and association. See more: Amnesty International, Trampling Humanity: Mass arrests, disappearances and
torture since Iran’s 2019 November protests, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/2891/2020/en/
27
See more: Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, https://www.iranrights.org/projects/timeline
28
See more : ARTICLE 19, Small Media, Human Rights Activists in Iran, Impact Iran, Human Rights Committee, 129th session
(Geneva) 29 June – 24 July 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_ICS_IRN_42315_E.pdf
29
See more: Iran Human Rights, https://www.iranhr.net/en/reports/23/
30
See more: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, https://iranhrdc.org/controlled-and-pursued-labor-activism-incontemporary-iran/
31
See more: Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort, https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420WEB.pdf
21
3