Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief A/HRC/10/8/Add.1 para 98 Full recommendation The Special Rapporteur urged the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to take all necessary measures to guarantee that the rights and freedoms of Mr. Mahmoud Mohammad Matin-Azad, Mr. Arash Ahmad-Ali Basirat and Mr. Ramtin Soodmand are respected. She also requested that the Government ensures the compatibility of any new legislation adopted by the Iranian Parliament with international human rights law. Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators 1 Individuals mentioned in the recommendation are Christians who converted from Islam to Christianity and were then arrested by security forces in 2008 and spent long periods in prison. Mahmoud Matin-Azad and Arash Ahmad-Ali-Basirat were acquitted in court after spending five months in detention and were released from prison.2 In 2008, the two were detained by security forces in Shiraz and charged with "propaganda against the regime", "insulting Ayatollah Khomeini", "disturbing public opinion" and "apostasy". In the same year, 2008, Ramtin Soodmand was also arrested by security forces in Mashhad and was accused of propagating the religion of Christianity, he was released on bail after 2 months in prison.3 He is the son of pastor Hussein Soodmand, who was executed in Mashhad more than 30 years ago on charges of apostasy.4 No information has been released on further proceedings of Ramtin Soodmand's case in court after his release on bail. All mentioned individuals were arrested for converting their religion, and their peaceful activities triggered their arrests and charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "disturbing public opinion." Abovementioned cases are examples of the right to freedom of religion and belief, which Iranian law does not protect. The Islamic Republic of Iran has not taken all necessary measures to guarantee that the rights and freedoms of these individuals are respected. 1 CCPR.18.1.S.1; CCPR.18.1.S.2; CCPR.18.1.S.3; CCPR.18.1.S.4; CCPR.18.1.S.5; CCPR.27.1.S.1; CCPR.27.2.S.1; CCPR.18.1.P.1; CCPR.18.1.P.2; CCPR.18.1.P.3; CCPR.18.1.P.4; CCPR.18.1.P.5; CCPR.18.3.P.1; CCPR.27.1.P.1; CCPR.27.1.P.2; CCPR.27.2.P.3; CCPR.18.1.O.4; CCPR.18.1.O.5; CCPR.18.1.O.10; CCPR.18.1.O.12; CCPR.18.1.O.16; CCPR.18.2.O.1; CCPR.18.3.O.2; CCPR.27.1.O.1; CCPR.27.1.O.2; CCPR.27.2.O.2; CCPR.27.2.O.3 2 Radio Farda: https://www.radiofarda.com/a/f5_two_Iranian_acquited/466883.html 3Radio Farda: https://www.radiofarda.com/a/f6_Iran_Soodmand_Releasing/470368.html and https://www.radiofarda.com/a/f6_Iran_Christan_Soodmand/465661.html 4 https://www.iranrights.org/fa/memorial/story/41705/hossein-sudmand 1

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