Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
A/HRC/28/70 para 91
Full recommendation:
[The Special Rapporteur] calls on the authorities to release all individuals identified by the
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention as being arbitrarily detained, as well as other political
prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
Assessment
Since 2016, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) found that there have been at
least 38 cases of persons subject to arbitrary detention in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite
these opinions, as of January 2021 many still remain in detention.1 The individuals that the
WGAD found to have been arbitrarily detained in the Islamic Republic of Iran include but are
not limited to: Mr. Arash Sadeghi (Opinion no. 19/2018), Ms. Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee (Opinion
no. 33/2019), Ms. Atena Daemi (Opinion no. 83/2018).
The WGAD “has repeatedly found a practice in the Islamic Republic of Iran of targeting foreign
nationals for detention.”2 Despite the Working Group’s opinions concluding that their detention
is arbitrary, as of March 2021 foreign and dual nationals Mr. Siamak Namazi3 and Mr.
Mohammad Bager Namazi4 (Opinion no. 49/2017)5 remain in detention. Ms. Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe6 (Opinion no. 28/2016)7 was released having completed her sentence but currently
faces new charges.8 Mr. Ahmad Reza Djalali, whose detention was found to be arbitrary by the
WGAD in 2017,9 faces imminent execution.10 Mr. Robert Levinson, whose detention was found
to be arbitrary by the Working Group in 2016,11 reportedly died in Iranian custody.12 Other
1
See more: United for Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion No. 52/2018, para 82.
3
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/2157/
4
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/2400/
5
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
6
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/2481/
7
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion no. 28/2016,
https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/WGAD/2016/28
8
The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/07/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-reportedly-freed-but-may-face-newcharges
9
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion no. 92/2017,
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Detention/Pages/Opinions80thSession.aspx
10
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/3126/
11
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion no. 50/2016,
https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/WGAD/2016/50
12
United For Iran, https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/3488/
2
1