UNiTED NATIONS DIStT. _________
GENERAL
t C C N 0 N/ I C E/ CN.4/l5 16
E/CN 4/Sub. 2/475
A N D 22' September 1981
5 ENGLISH
JL AL. COUKCIL Origina1 FEENCH
CONNISSION ON Htfl”i NRIGHTh
Thirty—eighth session */
Item 12 of the draft provisional agenda —‘
Sub—Commission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection
of Minorities.
Thirty—fourth session
Item 6 of the agenda
QUESTION OF TRE VIOLATION OF HCNAN RIGHTS MED
PUNDAi NTAL FREEDOMS IN ANY PART OF TBE WORLD
WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL AND
OTRER DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES
Note verbale dated 14 September 1981 from the Permanent Mission of
the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and the
other international organizations at Geneva addressed
to the Secretary—General
The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Office of the
United Nations and other international organizations at Geneva presents its
compliments to the United Nations Secreta.ria.t and, further to its no.ite No. 442/1/678'
of 10 June 1981, and in connection with the work of the thirty—fourth session of the
Sub—Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,
concerning human rights, has the honour to inform it, on instni.ctions from the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a,s fol1ows
The human rights and fundamental freedoms of the individual are enshrined in
the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including, in particular,
articles 13, 14 and 23.
Article 13 provides that “Zoroastrian, Jewish and Christian Iranians shall be
the sole recognized religious minorities which shall be free, within the limits of
the law, to perform their religious rites and to act, as far as their personal status
.nc1 religious teachings are concerned, according to their liturgy”.
According to article 14, “In conforming to the holy verse of the Koran, ‘the
Almighty never forbids you to act kindly and fairly towards those who do not war
against you on account of your religion, and do not expel you from your homeland.
God loves the just . The Government of the I sla.mic Republic of Iran and Muslims
shall act with Islamic morality, justice and equity towards non—Muslims and respect
their human rights. This principle shall be valid for those who do not engage in
any activities or plot against Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
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Under article 23 “The control of. dpiniono shall be prohibited nc1 no one may
be ati,aok d Or Oensurdd for his opinions?t.
The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran is authorized to guote
statementemade by two of the highest aut2orities of th Isls.mto Republic.
According to Ayatdlld .h Moussavi rdebili President of the Supreme Cbu±t of
the Islamic Republic of Iran, “The courts of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the
procedures hich they apply are governed by Islamic standards and laws., as:: well, as.
the Constitution and the country s official laws and regulations. Under those
same laws, no one is t be molested., prosecuted or persecuted on account of hi
religious beliefs. Anyone who is brought •to tria.:L is to be ju .gdd by the lawful
judicial bodies regardless of his faith and shall he entitled to all the fa ilities
he needs fo:r his defence. In no circumstances may he be denied those rightelt.
According to Aya.tcLlah Mahdavi Kani, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, “The rights of non—Muslim Iranians are protected in the same way as those of
Muslim Iranians and the law d .bes not toleretp any. discrimination towards them. If
non—Muslim Iranians are brought to trial before the judicial bodies, ii is in no way
because of their faith, bu solely on a.cbouut of the ‘acts of which they are accused.
It goes without saying that an Iranian Baha i who has been ‘the subject of a. judicial
measure may not be absolved from resppnsibili y for an indictable offence merely
by virtue of belonging ‘to' the. Bahat i sect, It should ‘be hoted. ‘that” thOre a 'e numerous
Iranian Baha”i liirinig ‘in complete security in Ira,r ,,', with nothing whatsoever to fear.
The only ones who are prosecuted and sentenced “are those who “have' been ‘involved in
acts of espionage and other activities contrary to ‘the higher interests of the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Mention may also be. made of the propaganda campaign
mounted by the enemies of the Islamic. Repuhlic “61 ' Iran to discredit the Islamic
Revolutiop But all that in no way tallies with the true facts and. is therefore
tots.lly unfounded.”
