pressure on the civil society group Imam Ali Popular Student’s Relief Society, working on issues such as child labor. Iranian authorities closed the organization and arrested its founding member along with a number of their colleagues.35 In light of the above, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has not allowed NGOs to function freely, and ensured that their members are able to operate in a safe environment. The procedure of establishment of associations is not simple and is discriminatory. C. The right to peaceful assembly should not be subject to prior authorization by the authorities, but at the most to a prior notification procedure, which should not be burdensome, and the Government should recognize spontaneous assemblies as exempted from prior notification. Article 27 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran stipulates that “Public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.”36 The latter restriction is overly broad and grant Iranian authorities with d-significant leeway to restrict the right to peaceful assembly. Additionally, The Government requires all organizations and associations participating to an assembly to acquire a permit from the Article 10 Party Commission before-hand.37 The process to obtain permits is difficult and burdensome38 deterring further individuals from exercising their right to peaceful assembly. The right to peaceful assembly is subject to prior authorization by authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Spontaneous assemblies are not exempted from prior notification in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Recommendation Status: This recommendation has NOT been implemented. 35 OHCHR News, https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26141&LangID=E Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/constitutionenglish-1368.pdf 37 http://rrk.ir/Laws/ShowLaw.aspx?Code=12758 38 See more: Volunteer Activists, Civil Society in Iran and its Future Prospects, https://volunteeractivists.nl/en/wpcontent/uploads/2018/10/Civil-Society-in-Iran-and-its-Future-Prospects-pdf.pdf 36 5