Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
A/HRC/43/61 para 68(l)
Full recommendation:
The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government, the judiciary and the parliament:
Immediately release all dual and foreign nationals arbitrarily detained.
Assessment
The WGAD “has repeatedly found a practice in the Islamic Republic of Iran of targeting foreign
nationals for detention.”1 Despite the Working Group opinions concluding that their detentions
are arbitrary, foreign and dual nationals Mr. Siamak Namazi2 and Mr. Mohammad Bager
Namazi3 (Opinion no. 49/2017)4 remain in detention as of March 2021. Ms. Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe5 (Opinion no. 28/2016)6 was released at the end of her detention sentence but currently
faces new charges.7 Mr. Ahmad Reza Djalali whose detention was found arbitrary by the WGAD
in 2017,8 faces imminent execution.9 Mr. Robert Levinson, whose detention was found arbitrary
by the Working Group in 2016,10 reportedly died in Iranian custody.11 Other foreign and dual
nationals remain in detention in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Mr. Morad Tahbaz12 and
Mr. Kamran Ghaderi.13
As of March 2021, the government, the judiciary and the parliament did not release all dual and
foreign nationals who have arbitrarily been detained.
Recommendation Status:
This recommendation has NOT been implemented.
1
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion No. 52/2018, para 82.
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/2157/
3
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/2400/
4
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion no. 49/2017,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/Session79/A_HRC_WGAD_2017_49_EN.pdf
5
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/2481/
6
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion no. 28/2016,
https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/WGAD/2016/28
7
The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/07/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-reportedly-freed-but-may-face-newcharges
8
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion no. 92/2017,
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Detention/Pages/Opinions80thSession.aspx
9
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/3126/
10
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion no. 50/2016,
https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/WGAD/2016/50
11
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/3488/
12
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/4043/
13
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/2894/
2
1