Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic
of Iran A/HRC/37/68 para 91
Full recommendation:
The Special Rapporteur continues to receive reports of reprisals, in particular of individuals
sharing information or publicly reporting on the situation of human rights in the country. The
Government should take strict measures to ensure protection against reprisals against such
individuals and their families. Individuals or State entities that engage in such acts should be
identified and held accountable to prevent a recurrence of such violations.
Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators1
The Iranian legal framework contains numerous broad and vaguely defined provisions granting
Iranian authorities with significant discretion to criminalize the sharing of information or public
reporting on the situation of human rights in the country. These include crimes such as
"propaganda against the regime," "spreading lies," “espionage” or "collaborating with a hostile
enemy”.2 Iranian authorities frequently resort to these vaguely defined crimes to sanction against
those who report on the situation of human in Iran and abroad and their families.3
In reprisal of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience reporting on their detention
conditions, Iranian authorities have pressed additional charges and extended prison sentences.4
Additionally, Iran continues to threaten and persecute family members of individuals reporting
on human rights in Iran in an effort to suppress the sharing of information and public reporting
on the human rights situation in the country. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of
family members of civil society activists in country or abroad who have been harassed, arrested
and detained by Iranian authorities inside Iran.5 6 7 Media activists who work for Persianlanguage media abroad but, with family in country, have also faced pressure and threats from
Iranian authorities.8
1
CCPR.9.5.S.1; CCPR.9.5.P.2; CCPR.9.5.O.1.
Article 508 of Islamic Penal Code: https://shenasname.ir/laws/4475-ghanon-mojazat
3
See report of the UN 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
4
Frontline Defenders <https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/upr-submission-iran-2019 >
5
Human Rights Watch <https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/iran >;
6
Iran Human Rights <https://iranhr.net/en/articles/4334/ >
7
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://iranhumanrights.org/2020/07/activists-brother-sentenced-to-eight-years-in-prisoncollective-punishment-of-families-continues-in-iran/.
8
<https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059251 >
2
1