There are mechanisms to receive and investigate complaints of torture and ill-treatment as provided under Iranian law in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Supervision and Inspection Board, established under the Law on Respect for Legitimate Freedoms and Safeguarding Citizen’s Rights, monitors the compliance of policies and conducts with the law and confront those in breach. The Board’s missions include submitting “the complaints it receives to the relevant bodies and pursuing the investigation until it yields an outcome”; “deploying inspection groups to the bodies”; and “preparing reports on the implementation of laws in the country every three months and making them available to the public every three months.”14 The Supervision and Inspection Board also has set up a database enabling victims and witnesses to submit their complaints. On the occasion of its 2019 Universal Periodic Review, the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that “the prosecutors, through judges stationed in prisons as well as the Secretariat of the Protection of Citizenship Rights and provincial supervisory boards, conduct regular inspections and investigate any reports or complaints” with regard to allegations of torture.15 There is no readily available information that might indicate that complaints have been properly investigated and adjudicated either by the Board or the Secretariat. Additionally, there is no readily available information suggesting that Iranian authorities allegedly perpetrating acts of torture go through any sort of disciplinary measure. Instead, prisoners reporting torture to investigative mechanisms have faced reprisal and been charged of “propaganda against the regime”.16 Security agencies notably have been escaping accountability in the Islamic Republic of Iran. For example, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reports directly to the Supreme Leader and in effect is not accountable to either the government or the judiciary. In turn, the Supreme Leader, who appoints, dismisses and accepts resignation of the chief commander of the IRGC,17 is not accountable to any institution. Consequently, the possibility to challenge the actions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including acts of torture allegedly perpetrated by its agents, is severely limited. Reports of cases of torture in the Islamic Republic of Iran are regular.18 19 Amnesty International reported widespread and systematic use of torture by Iranian authorities against protestors during and after the November 2019 protests.20 As of January 2021, there is no readily available information that might indicate that Iranian authorities have opened investigations compliant 14 See Executive By-law of Article 1(15) of the Law on Respect for Legitimate Freedoms and Safeguarding Citizens’ Rights, available at bit.ly/1nRuftq (accessed on 3 February 2016). 15 Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, February 2020, https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/43/12/Add.1 16 https://iranintl.com/en/iran/vaezi-regime-has-right-sue-esmail-bakhshi-torture-claims 17 Article 110, Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf 18 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, March 2018, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/37/68 19 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2020, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G20/021/53/PDF/G2002153.pdf?OpenElement 20 Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1328912020ENGLISH.PDF 3