information that might indicate that the Islamic Republic of Iran has carried out investigations
into these cases, notably through the aforementioned mechanisms, and whether the perpetrators
have been brought to justice. Instead, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in
the Islamic of Iran has raised serious alarms at the lack of accountability for perpetrators of acts
of torture and other ill-treatment during and after the November 2019 protests.18 OHCHR and
NGOs frequently report cases of solitary confinement, at times prolonged, in the Islamic
Republic of Iran.19 20 21 22 Further, NGOs have reported cases of prisoners placed in solitary
confinement only because they were displaying COVID-19 symptoms.23 24
Despite the existence of several mechanisms that ostensibly accept complaints regarding
violations of citizens' rights, such as the Article 90 Commission of the parliament (established
based on Article 90 of the Constitution, offering a mechanism to citizens to file complaint
against any of the three branches of government) and the Oversight Bodies for the exercise of
Citizenship Rights in the country's provincial courts, there is no evidence to suggest that
complaints to these bodies are independently reviewed and investigated.25 As previously noted,
the absence of a crime of torture in itself under Iranian law prevents prosecution, which is
limited to cases of torture provided under the law, and therefore hinders access to justice for
victims.
Considering the above, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has not duly investigated
complaints of torture and ill-treatment, and the shortcomings of the Iranian legal framework
hinder accountability for perpetrators. There is no readily available information that might
indicate that the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken measures to prevent the
recurrence of acts of torture and ill-treatment, apart from the reported inspections and
investigations into complaints.
B. International organizations should be permitted regular, unhindered and withoutnotice access to all places of detention.
18
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020, https://documentsdds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N20/190/27/PDF/N2019027.pdf?OpenElement
19
OHCHR News, https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26716&LangID=E%20
20
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
21
Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/06/iran-free-students-long-solitary
22
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1328912020ENGLISH.PDF and
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE0113572020ENGLISH.PDF
23
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/iran-leaked-letters-reveal-state-denial-of-covid19crisis-in-prisons/
24
See more: Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, https://www.en-hrana.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/09/COVID19_FEAR_IN_IRANS_PRISONS_.pdf
25
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee, Abdorrahman Center, Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC),
Impact Iran and Human Rights Activists in Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCCPR%2fICS%2fIRN%2f42313
&Lang=en
4