Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
A/71/418 para 86
Full recommendation
The Special Rapporteur continues to be disturbed by reports from members of ethnic minority
communities regarding arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture and prosecution for protected
activities that promote social, economic, cultural and linguistic rights. He urges the authorities
to recognize that dialogue and the inclusive participation of all citizens in a diverse society can
form the basis for enduring initiatives that address poverty and development and can also
serve to strengthen protections for the rights of all ethnic minorities in the country. He
encourages the authorities to ensure that the rights of the members of the country’s most
vulnerable communities are protected and respected.
Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators1
Article 20 of the Constitution2 states that “All citizens of the country, both men and women,
equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and
cultural rights, in conformity with Islamic criteria”. Article 8 of the Charter of the Citizen’s
rights, decreed by the President in 2016, stipulates that “The Government shall refrain from
adopting any decision and taking any action that leads to the widening of the class divide, undue
discrimination or deprivation of citizen’s rights”.3 However, the Charter of the Citizens’’ rights
is not legally binding and functions as an administrative mechanism providing guidance for the
implementation of the principles, norms and laws stipulated in the Constitution.4
While the Government does consider the existence of ethnic minorities in Iran5, minorities,
including Arabs, Azerbaijani Turks, Balochis and Kurds, face targeted discriminations on the
basis of their identity and are generally side-lined from employment and general public services,
including education and health care.6 7 For instance, the use of minority languages are effectively
restricted under the Constitution, notably in schools where the teaching of a minority language is
1
CCPR.27.1.S.1; CCPR.27.2.S.1; CCPR.27.1.P.1; CCPR.27.1.P.2; CCPR.27.2.P.1; CCPR.27.2.P.3; CCPR.27.1.O.1;
CCPR.27.1.O.2; CCPR.27.2.O.2; CCPR.27.2.O.3
2
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf
3
Charter of Citizen’s Rights English translation, December 2016, http://president.ir/en/96865
4
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Islamic Republic of Iran, 27 December 2019,
https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/12
5
Article 19 of The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf
6
See more : Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human
Rights in Kurdistan – Geneva, Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani People in Iran, Iran Human Rights
Documentation Center, OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf
7
Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-against-ethnic-andreligious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf
1