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Report on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran / by the Special Representative of the Commission, Reynaldo Galindo Pohl

          
          UNITED
          NATIONS
          Economic
          and
          •
          Social
          Distr.
          GENERAL
          Council
          E/CN.4/1988/24
          25 January 1988
          .
          .
          .
          E LISH
          Original: E LISH/FRENCH
          COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
          Forty—fourth session
          Item 12 of the provisional agenda
          QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
          IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL AND
          OTHER DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES
          Report on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran by
          the Special Representative of the Commission, Mr. Reynaldo Galindo Pohi ,
          P pursuant to resolution 1987/55
          -- - -
          BP0005 14
          GE. 8 8—10275/2246G
          
        
          
          page ii
          CONTENTS
          I. INTRODUCTION
          II. ACTION TAKEN BY THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
          III. INFORMATION RECEIVED BY THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
          1. Oral i nformatjon..
          2. Written informatior
          IV. CONSIDERATION OF VIEWS OF THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
          1. Compatibility of international law with
          Islamic law
          2. Replies to Alleged Violations of Human Rights
          V. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
          Annex
          Paragraphs Page
          1—4
          1
          5—6 2
          7-23 3
          7 — 1]. 3
          24—71 7
          27—59 7
          60 — 71 14
          72—82 17
          22
          
        
          
          1 By its resolution 1987/55 of 11 March 1987 the Commission on Human Rights
          decided to extend the mandate of its Special Representative, as contained in
          Commissibn resolution 1984/54 of 14 March 1984, for a further year, and
          requested the Special interim report on the
          situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran to the
          General Assembly at its forty second session, and a final report to the
          Commission at its forty—fourth session
          2 In compliance with the above mentioned resolution, the Special
          Representative presented an interim report to the General Assembly (A/42/648),
          and submits herewith his final report to the Commission.
          3 The interim report concentrated on items and issues appropriate to give
          the General Assembly an overview of, the evolution of human rights and
          fundamental freedoms in the Islamic Republic of Iran durinq the period from
          September 1986 to October 1987 The final report updates the situation to
          January 1988 and considers some issues that were purposely not discussed in
          the interim report. The two reportè may thus be considered as two parts of a
          whole, whith the interim report being the first part of the final report and
          its indispensable frame of reference
          4 The final report contains five sections Introduction, Action taken by
          the Special Representative Recent information, both oral and written, on
          alleged violations of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran,
          Examination of contentions presented by the Government of the Islamic Republic
          of Iran n several 1r portant issues; and Gener?1 considerations nd
          conclusions. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ - - - ‘ ‘ ‘ .
          I. INTRODUCTION
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page 1
          /1
          
          ‘I
          ., .—. . . . ..; .— - -.. . . ..
          
        
          
          E/CN.4/l 98 8 / 24
          .page 2
          II. ACTION TAKEN BY THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
          5•. On 4 November 1987, after being informed of the appointment of.
          Mr. Sirous Nasseri as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the
          :. Is•l mic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office at Geneva the
          special Representative addressed to him a letter which read as folldws:
          “I have just been informed of Your Excellency's appointment as
          Ambassador and Permanent Representati-ve to the United Nations at Geneva.
          while transmitting to you my sincere congratulations, may I also express
          the hope that we shall now be in a position to enhance Our contacts and
          further develop the constructive dialogue upon which we embarked in
          Geneva last July.
          As you may know, I plan to visit New York between 16 and
          27 November 1987 in order to present my interim report to the
          General Assembly. I also plan to visit Geneva between 11 and
          15 January 1988, in connection with the preparation of my report to the
          Commission on Human Rights. I do hope that, on the occasion of these
          visits a meeting may be arranged between us in order d1ärify
          our respective views
          6 On 20 January 1988, after having conducted a series of informal hearing s
          in the course of which 11 persons who claimed to have first—hand k iowI dge
          and experience of various aspects of the human rights situation. in.thé.
          Islamic Republic of Iran described to him their experience, th& Special
          Representative addressed a letter to the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic
          of Iran communicating to him the sununary of oral and written information
          reflected in Chapter III below and in the annex to this report The le€ter
          read-ab--fo1- Dws — - —
          “As you may know, during my visit to Geneva from 11 to
          15 January 1988 I conducted, in the framework of my mandate tinder
          Commission on Human Rights resolution 1987/55a serie.s' of informal
          hearings with eleven persons who claimed to have firsthand, knowledge and
          experience of various aspects of the human rights situation i.n the
          Islamic Republic of Iran. A summary of the allegations made in the
          course of these hearings is enclosed herewith for your information.
          A summary of allegations which were contained in documents provided
          to me in recent months by various org.ani.zatipns and bodjes c:oncerned, is
          also enclosed herewith. I would greatly appreciate receiving any
          information or comments that Your Excellency's Government may wish to
          provide with regard to these ai1egatiOUS. . .. - ‘ _.;,
          I would like to seize this opportunity to express my sincere hope
          that the constructive dialogue upon' which we. embarked last'year will
          continue and further develop in the future
          
        
          
          1.. j.:. E/CN.4/1.988/24
          page 3
          (. III. INFORMATION RECEIVED BY THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
          1 Oral information
          7. On 12, 14 and 15 January 1988, the Special Representative., conducted a
          serie of informal hearings in the course of which 11 persons who claimed to
          have first—hand knowledge and experience of various aspects of the human
          rights situation in. the Islamic Republic of Iran described their experience.
          Ten of the persons received by the Special Representative were followers of
          the Baha'i faith and one person described himself as not affiliated with any
          political or religious movement, but a supporter of the “National Council of
          Resistance of Iran” Of the followers of the Baha'i faith, three indicated
          that their name could be mentioned in the report They were Mr Etemadi,
          Mr Fereydoun Somali and Mr Abdul Shoghi Tebyani The person who described
          r 1 himself as not—affiliated to any movement was Mr Fereydoun Guilani
          8 Mr Guilani worked in the editorial board of the Persian language
          newspaper Keyhan until three months after the coming to power of the Islamic
          Government and is also a poet and..autho . He spent two years, from 1981
          uritil 1983, in the Eviri prison in Teheran for alleged anti—Islamic activity
          and for publishing articles and poems hostile to the Government He described
          in detail conditions prevailing in that prison overcrowding, insufficiency
          of food, inadequacy of hygienic conditions and medical treatment, and, above
          ali . tortt.ire and ill—treatment of detainees. Aàcordiñg to Mr. Guilani guards
          in the Evin prison tortured him for three months, under the guise of
          inflicting religious punishment, or “Taazir”. He describe&'in detail the
          torture to which he was subjected. While he was blindfolded up to seven
          persons beat him with bars andoables, kicked h m on al1 p s pf., is o y
          tied him to a “Taazir bench” and beat the soles of his feet — resulting in
          extremely painful and swollen feet Mr. Guilani described his trial It took
          place before a religious judge, named Haji Mohasheni, with a prosecutor and a
          guard also attending It lasted for only a few minutes, during which 36
          charges were read out He had no attorney and had only a few minutes to
          defend himself. The verdict was nOt announced immediately, and he found out
          later that he had been sentenced to three years' imprisonment. After his
          release- from prison he resumed ‘his'writing activity and .waS consequently.
          rearrested for six months, for having written articie describing the
          cOnditions in..the Evin prison.. The publication of:books he wrote •after.'his
          second release was prevented by censorship
          9 The followers of the Baha'i faith who appeared before the Special
          Representative described their experience and that of their family members and
          . . Most of them spent periods of various dura.tion in pri.son. and some
          iad members of their families executed All of them had allegedly been
          5uhjected .to harassment and, discriminatory measures.,.. such-as denial of
          ducation, dismissal from jobs, confiscation of property, extreme economic
          ‘3:dship and brutal searches and arrests Those of them who had been
          irnorisoned invariably described the conditions in prison as extremely harsh
          They also described the physical and psychological torture to which they were
          1b1ected. The latter sort of torture included threats of execution and of.
          .;exual abuse. . . ‘
          1 ”
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page 4
          1O. One person described the case of an elderly woman, Mrs. Sharghieh Imanian,
          with whom she shared a cell, who had allegedly been whipped a hundred times on
          her feet and, as a result, had deep Cuts and was bleeding. The prison
          authorities nevertheless denied that woman permission to see a doctor and put
          her into solitary confinement for three months without giving her any
          treatment The same person was also shown the body of Mr Markazi, a mem e
          of the Baha'i Council of Iran who was executed on 23 September 1984 His rios
          and most of his bones were allegedly broken and his body was severely wounded
          11 Mr Fereydoun Somali described an incident at the end of 1984, in which a
          f ire broke in a factory in which he and 30 other Baha'is were employed The
          fire was allegedly started deliberately, as the doors of the factory were
          locked from the outside Consequently, Mr Somali was severely burnt and had
          one eye seriously injured Several months later, following six months of
          hospitalization and surgical operations, his eye condition required an urgent
          operation for a cornèatrañspl nt. But on the eve of the operation the
          hospital informed him that the office of the. Islamic Committee had not.
          authorized his surgery, stating that an eye of a Moslem could not be given to
          a Baha'i, and that he had to find an eye from another Baha'i for his
          transplant Mr Somali presented a photocopy of a document originally written
          in Persian, with its English translation, signed by an Islamic Committee,
          stating that “following our telephone conversation, since Mr Fereydoun
          Shomali has personally confessed his connection with the Zionist Bahai
          faction, the cornea graft is not to be performed for religious reasons”
          2 Written information
          12 Subsequently to the completion of his interim report to the
          _General Assembly (A/42/648) the Special Representative received written -
          information contained in various documerrts, reports and letteLs, - which
          referred in par.ticular toalleged violations of th ight to life,-the right
          to freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
          and the right to liberty and security of person, as well as information
          concerning the economic situation of followers of th Baha'i faith and the
          treatment of Kurdish civilians
          Information concerning the right to life .
          13. In -November -1987.-the Special Representative received a list published by
          the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran-containing names and particulars -
          of 14,028 persons who were allegedly killed by Iranian government agents
          during the years 1981—1987 The list contained 2,000 names of persons that
          had not been previously published.. Out- of that list the Special Repres ntative
          submitted to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran 60 names of
          persons who were allegedly executed or tortured to death during the years
          1986—1987 The Special Representative requested the Government to provide him
          with any information or comments regarding those alleged cases of execution
          and death. The names and particularsincluded in that list are reproduced in
          the annex to this report. .
          14. In addition, it was alleged that a prisoner named Hossein Sabbaqi, was
          tortured to death in the prison of Babolsar, north-of Iran, in September 1987.
          I
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page5
          15. The People t s Mojahedin Organization alleged on 27 November 1987 that 36
          persons, described as political prisoners, had been secretly executed in
          recent months. According to that source a group of 26 persons were executed
          in the Evin prison, Teheran.. The names of the alleged victims were reported
          as follows: Khalil Ramezarii, Cyrus Abbasvand, Fereydoun Aqdoust, Farchild
          Nemati, Seyed Mohammad Heydari Ghahi, Soulmaz Chahidi Af fan, Mohammad Ali
          Abranki, Ardechir Abtari Rad, Amir Hossein Naderi, Qassem Khalidi, Mahmoud
          Zakipour, Anouchirvan Ebrahimi, Alizadeh, Moloud Rahmani, Hassari—Moradi,
          Alireza .Pjahani, MassoudAnsari,.Alireza ChahrakiFarahani, .Madjid Pazira,
          Omid Reza Qomachi, Massoumeh Seddiq, Karim Hal Au Mohammadi, .
          Mohammad Firouzi, Rahmat Tchaman, Ara, 'Mahsour..Qomàchf Làngueroudi,
          Qolamreza Separqami, Au Taher Djouyan, Sheyla Mokhtarzadeh, Madjid SafaI,
          HosseinMoafi, Seyed Djalai ChafiI,:BaqerChekoftehGohari, Alileza Dja na1i,'
          Kioumars Chahi,Maziar Lotfi and Fère'doun Hassan—Dolat.
          16. It was further alleged that two follàwers of the Baha'i' faith, Ardishihr
          Akhtari and Amir Husayn Nadiri, were executed on 28 September 1987 in Teheran.
          Information concerning the right to fréedom'frorn' tdrtu”re or cruel, inhuman or
          degrading treatment or punishment ‘ . S , .
          
          17., Allegations regarding the conditions prévailiñg in Iranian prisons
          continued to be communicated to the Special Rëprésentative. Several,
          communications were received from families' of ‘political prisoners in Iran,
          alleging ill—treatment and torture ofsuch prisoñer .ás well as extreme1y poor
          cànditions in prisons in which they are held. Acco ding tO acómmunicátion
          from several mothers and wives of Iranian political prisoners, received in
          October. 1987, Iranian Government agents harrassed, ill—treated and detained
          political prisoners' x elati es who demon tTatdi f or t f the United NatiOns
          Office in Teheran on 10 September l987 , onthe eve Of the visit to Teheran by
          the United,Nations Secretary—General. Many of the participants in that'
          demonstration were allegedly sent to three prisons and were ill—treated'.” Some
          were released after several days while the whereabouts of others were still
          unknown. . ‘ . . ‘ .
          Information concerning the right to liberty and security of person' '
          18. In . October 1987 the Baha'i international Community transmitted two lists
          of persons detained in Iranian prisons and beIieved to be in'dangerof
          execution. The first list contained 12 names ‘of Baha'is, most of whom had
          already spent periods of one to five years in prison. They were th'e
          following: Ihsanu'llah A'yadi: Faraju'llah Sa'adati; ‘Suhrab Dustdar;
          Ramidan—Ali Amu'i; Bihnam Pasha'i; ?4uhammad Dihqani; Izzatu'llah Rhurram;
          Mihran Tashakkur; Farid Dhakiri; Vahid Qydrat; Shahruk'h Huvayda'i and
          Mrs. Parvin Fana'iyan—Idilkhani.
          19. The second list contained five names of prominent Baha'is who were
          arrested on 21 October 1987 and were reported to be held in Evin prison,
          Teheran. Two of them, Jamaiu'd—Din Khanjani and Hasan Mahbubi were reportedly
          former members of ‘the National Baha'i council of Iran, and were said to be in
          danger of execution. The other three Baha'is arrested on that date were named
          as Changiz Faria'iyan, Suhrab Hajiyan and Bahman Samandari. The Special
          Representative was subsequently informed that these five persons had been
          released without any conditions.
          
        
          
          E/CN.4/1988/24
          page 6
          20. It was further alleged in October 1987 that a prisoner named Seyed Au
          Taherdjouyan, described, as a member of the People's Mojahedin Organization,
          burned himself to death in the prison of Gohar—Dasht, in Karaj, Western. Iran,
          allegedly in protest over the torture and poor conditions suffered by
          political prisoners in Iranian prisons
          Information concerning the economic situation of followers of the Baha'.i. faith
          21. According to information received in January 1988 the Ira ian ' Governm nt
          has, in recent months, increased its economic pressure on followers b ' the
          Baha'i faith This pressure allegedly manifested itself in various manners,
          such as the cancellation of. business licenses, the confiscation of shops , .
          farms. and other: Baha'i-owned properties and thedenial of membership” in'':
          co—operatives to Baha'i farmers. By way of illustration of such p essure: the
          Special Representative received the English translation of a letter originally
          written in Persian, dated 5 July 1987, by which the Islamic Revolutionary
          Committee of Abbas—Abad, Tunukabun,. informed a Baha'i tailor that”.bécause of
          your membership in the misguided Baha'i sect, your business licencé”is hereby
          revoked and declared null and void”. The Special Representative alsoreceivéd
          a photocopy of a communication originally written in Persian, and its English
          translation, dated 9 June: 1987, which contained a guide—line signed by
          Ali Samadi, Commander of. the Iranian Revolutionary Committee of.Abbas—Abad,
          stating that “according to the decision made by the high authorities. ‘for .the
          security and order, it is forbidden to hire or to give any licen es for work
          to the members of the aberrant Baha'i group. It is recommended. to cancel.all
          the previous authorizations and licenses, previously issued to them”..
          22. It was further alleged that thousands of Baha'is who had been dismissed
          .f rom their positions .j “1..:” . : :
          continued to be denied their jobs and pensi ns, and that they had been
          instructed to repay all salaries received during, their period of government.
          employment.. ,. . . , ..
          Information concerning treatment of Kurdish civilians
          23. The Democratic Party of. Iranian Kurdistan alleged! in a Communication
          dated October 1987, that the'tr njan authorities had ordered the evacuation
          and resettling of 23 kurdish villages, with a population of 3,680 people,
          located in the Bolfát regioh south—east of ‘Sardasht 1 (Iranian Kurdistan)'. The
          villages affected by that measure were reported as follows: Doiatou,
          Dawdaweb, Halesha, Sawan, Mam Kaweh,, Mazra, Darmakon, Pashghabran, S'pidareh,
          Siramerg, Baizainara, Ayshadina,. Bardassour, Kodaleh, Mamandaweh, Zaleh,
          Newtchwan, Souraban, Ahmad Briw, Guerdena, Doli Khanwan, Guilkank and Wardeh.
          
        
          
          IV. CONSIDERATION OF VIEWS OF THE ‘IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page 7
          24. The. Special Representative has taken into account the views expressed,'
          both orally and in writing., by the Iranian Government. Some of those views
          were extensively quoted in the Interim Report, whenever appropriate, in
          accordance with the international practice and the terms of the mandate.
          Other views •have provided material for the considerations concerning general
          substantive parts of the reports, and a few have been considered as
          contrasting points for the clarification of the approaches and the actions
          taken by the Special Representative in the discharge of his duties.'
          25. In his Interim Report the Special: Representative indicated the points
          with respect to which he was unable ‘to agree with the positions adopted ‘by the
          Iranian Government, Differences on the interpretation of pertinent provisions
          and on the accepted international practice have added obstacles, doubts or
          incertitudes to the discrepancies based on. disparate original perceptions
          regarding international law and Islamic law. The discussion of those points
          may therefore play a paramount role in the process leading ‘to the satisfactory
          operation of the system of human ‘rights in Iran.
          26. It therefore seems timely and necessary to clarify the reasons supporting
          the opinions expressed by, the Special Representative in his reports and the''
          motivations of his actions, in the discharge of his duties. It may be for, the
          benefit of all concerned to explain why and how the Special Representative,
          though using flexible,'approaches and criteria and willing to take into account
          the peculiarities of the Iranian situation, was directed and guided by
          international instruments and by his. mandate to adopt those' actions and
          positions The peculiarities of the Iranian situation present problems of
          application that are-,- to some extent, new, and, -as sucIT enr ich the practice
          in this field and involve novel views and arguments regarding the protection
          of human rights at' worldwide leveL'.' . . ‘. . ‘
          1. Compatibility of international law with Islamic law
          27. After scrutiniiing the explanations and the arguments presented by the
          Iranian Government, it may be stated that the main source of divergence in the
          interpretation of international instruments concerning human rights derives
          from the question ofcompatibility between international law and Islamic law.
          This issud concerns the” social, legal and historic' role of religion in general
          and the. peculiar place of religion in the Islamic Republic ‘of Iran in
          particular. This seems to be one of the most important questions or even the
          fundamental one regarding some of the difficulties the Iranian Government
          encounters with respect to the international instruments on human rights.
          This has been apparent in various official statements quoted in previous
          reports and in particular, in “The Viewpoints of the Government of the
          Islamic Republic of Iran on Commission on Human Rights resolution 1987/55
          md on the issues contained in document E/ N.4/l987/23”, (E/CN.4/l988/l2 —
          E/CN.4/Sub.2/1987/35), hereafter referred to as “The Viewpoints”.
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page 8
          28. The radical difference results from two significantly distant
          approaches: whereas the General Assembly of the United Nations and the
          Commission on Human Rights, and therefore the Special Répresentatisie, regard
          treaties and solemn declarations of the United Nations as •the fundamental
          framework to examine the prevaiIing.situation in respe' t to human rights, the
          Iranian Government regards Islamic law as. paramount, and int'ernational'la as
          merely supplementary to, or corroborativ.e of Islamic law.
          29. “Islamic law is founded on the very original concept that divinity reigns
          supreme and divine law is pre—eminent to human law. The Declaration (that'is,.
          the Universal Declaration on Human Rights) is genuinely secular in its theme
          and essence and, as such, differs from Islamic. law in its origin. There may
          be similarities or even perfect compatibility on some provisions, in.,:'
          particular, those that meet the condition of jus cogens , but the originél
          perceptions remain widely apart” (“The Viewpoints”, p. 7, para. 6). The
          Universal Declaration on Human Rights discards any distinction with ‘respect to
          religion, and calls for freedom to manifest religion in all its realms. “ In
          contrast, “in the, case of Islam, manifestation of religion is inclusive' of
          operation of the State apparatus. It alsO constitutes the origin of ‘law”
          (“The Viewpoints”, p. 7, para. 7).
          30. This conception ‘has practical implications:, as it has been stated by
          Iranian, representatives. It is pertinent to refer to the official statèñient
          of the Iranian representative at the 673rd meeting of the Human Rights
          Committee on 10 April 1986: ‘“... relevant human rights”instruments'sucFi as
          the Covenants and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights contained
          provisions whose implementation would be contradictory in a country wherë'
          Islamic law is observed”. “.... for example, the right to religious fréédom in
          • an- - ‘slamic--soci.ety -where-persons -‘could-' not: embiace - -any other-”re -lig'io is reed:
          The lamé i ould ap l 'td the . Covenant:' ‘ p ohibition. 6f corporal puni hmeht '
          which would be contradictory to justice under Islamic law” (CCPR/C/SR.. . 673,
          p. 13)
          (a) Absence of religious and philosophical foundations in the Universal
          Declaration on Human Rights
          31. Those crucial statements deserve some comments, It is true that the
          Universal Declaration on Human Rights. is a secular document. This ‘a'asertiOn
          should be understood with some qualifications inorder to put the Declaration
          within a frame corresponding to the, history of its preparation and' adoption.
          It is secular in the sense that it. does not contain or reflect, at least in a
          direct, way, religious standpoints. This omission was intentional and
          responded to the definite objective to get support from all quarters of
          beliefs, philosophies and cultures. For instance, the foundation of human
          rights and freedoms on the doctrine of natural law, consistent with the
          Christian teaching, was deliberately avoided, although some of the authors of
          the Declaration firmly adhered to the theory of natural law.
          32, Jacques Maritain, the respected scholar who wrote the introduction to the
          texts by eminent persons consulted by UNESCO in 1947 and who synthesized the
          common denominator of the enlightened replies, advised to avoid speculative
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page 9
          and theoretical thinking as the only way to get wide support for the
          Declaration on the making. He stated that justifications though
          indispensable, were unable to lead to general agreement ( Autour de la Nouvelle
          Declaration Universelle desDroits de l'Homme , textes r4unis par l'tJNESCO,
          Paris, Editions du Sagitaire, 1949) Maritain was a proclaimed and practising
          Christian and a follower and innovator of the old natural law tradition
          33. The delegations that discussed and finally adopted the Universal
          Declaration in the General Assembly of the United Nations followed Maritain's
          advice. They thus avoided the questions of ultimate origin, remote causes and
          philosophical foundation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, either
          religious or secular, rational or empirical, idealist or materialist, and
          concentrated on rules for action, that is, adopted a pragmatic approach.
          Professor René Cassin, one of the most influential contributors to the
          Universal Declaration remembered circumstances under which the question of
          religion was dealt with (R. Cassin, “Les Droits de 1'Homme”, Academie de Droit
          International, Recueil des Cours, 1951, vol II, pp 284 et al )
          34. States from all continents and geographical groups agreed on the norma
          for action embodied in the Universal Declaration, in spite of disparate
          cultural backgrounds and antagonistic socioeconomic structures and
          ideologies A universal consensus was thus created on the meaning and scope
          of the human rights to be protected at worldwide level, as direct effect of
          the obligations acquired through the Charter of the United Nations
          Consequently an authoritative interpretation of the pertinent provisions of
          the Charter emerged Membership of the United Nations necessarily carried
          obligations on human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration, and some
          — - of tbe provisions of - t-his -i-ns -tr-u nent may be sai-d to- be--appl--i.cabl-e to - - -. -- -
          non—members of that Organiiation
          35. There is no legal challenge or* obstacle of principle to the operation
          that would reintegrate to the Universal Declaration the ultimate supporting
          elements that were discarded in order to avoid the wreckage of the goal to get
          unqualified backing to a univeral system of human rights This operation,
          that could be undertaken from a religious and philosophical perspective, could
          not provide a universal foundation, and certainly would not get the
          unqualified adherence of all States and peoples. But such limited result will
          not belittle in any way the significance and the necessity of that exercise
          for certain cultures and countries Surely it will have to be coherent with
          the current system of international protection of human rights, and
          consequently would not be permitted to jeopardize, alter, supersede or
          derogate from existing norms Of international law on human rights.
          (b) Adherence of Islamic Countries to the Covenants and the Universal
          Declaration of Human Rights
          36. The Iranian Government contended that the two Covenants on Human Rights
          and the Universal Declaration were ratified during the ruling of a secular
          régime by legislators who did not have the competence and knowledge nor the
          will to examine them against the tenets of tslamic law, and that the Iranian
          Parliament would have to take up this task in the future. “Meanwhile we
          continue to adhere to the provisions of the Declaration and the two Covenants
          which are consistent with, or at least not contradictory to Islamic law” (“The
          Viewpoints”, p. 8, pars. 10).
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page 10
          37. The selective adherence to certain international norms concerning human
          rights may be consistent with the Tranian lega1 system hut is lncomoat]ble
          with international law Even if leqislatorR did not have knowledge of the
          tenets of Islamic law, duly acquired State obligations remain unaffected and
          unchallenged International legal obligations are acquired by States, and
          Governments act as their representatives International obligations of States
          do not break down with the change of government or regime This is a
          fundamental principle derived from the absolute necessity to provide security
          to international relations
          38 Iranian representatives as well as representatives of other Islamic
          States accepted those instruments The views expressed by representatives of
          other Islamic countries at the time of the adoption of the Universal
          Declaration make it possible to state that there are different views on the
          question of compatibility between international law on human rights and
          Islamic law It is indeed difficult to accept that all Islamic States did not
          pay attention to those instruments The more consistent explanation of the
          fact of generalized acceptance of those instruments would be that there are
          different pnderstandings of the problem and its resolution.
          39 At the meeting of approval of the Universal Declaration of Human Riqhts
          by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the representative of Egypt,
          Mr Raafat, made reservations regarding articles 17 and 19, on account of
          limitations Islamic countries put to the contract of marriage of Muslim women
          with persons belonging to another faith, and the proclamation of man's right
          to change his religion or belief (art 19) In his opinion the Declaration
          could be understood as “encouraging, even though it might not be intentional,
          the machinations of certain missions, well known in the Orient, which
          relentlessly pursued their efforts to convert to their own beliefs the masses
          of the population of the Orient” (United Nations, General Assembly, third
          session, first part, 1948 Plenary meetings, Official Records, V 6, p 913)
          40 The delegate of Pakistan, the well known diplomat Sir Zafrullah Khan
          stated full support of his country to article 19 “Pakistan was an ardent
          defender of freedom of thought and belief and of all the freedoms listed in
          article 19” Afterwards he voiced reservations with respect to this article,
          not in regard to the rights it consacrated but to a possible abusive use of
          them Sir Zafrullah quoted the Koran as saying “Let he who choses to
          believe, believe, and he who choses to disbelieve, disbelieve” He added that
          Moslem religion was missionary because “it strove to persuade men to change
          their faith and alter their way of living, so as to follow the faith and way
          of living it preached, but it recognized the same right of conversion for
          other religions as for itself”.
          41 Sir Zafrullah expressed anxiety at the possible abusive use of article 19
          of the Universal Declaration on grounds of the actions of certain' other
          religions (obviously Christian), whose activities had sometimes assumed a
          political character and had given rise to objections (United Nations,
          General Assembly, Ibidem )
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          42. Those reservations resulted from possible misuse of some provisions of
          the Declaration but they did not criticize the recognition of the rights
          listed in article 19. The delegations of Egypt and Pakistan did not oppose
          the Universal Declaration and voted for its adoption. So the reservations
          were not sufficiently important to separate those countries from the consensus
          that had been built through the reduction of the instrument to rules for
          action Other Islamic countries that were at the time members of the
          United Nations voted in favour of the Declaration: Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran,
          Lebanon (a country with strong MosIem influence), and Syria. Saudi Arabia
          abstained, and Yemen did not pa rt.iôipate in the vote.
          43. The Universal Declaration merged as the authori 'ative uhderstanding ard
          the agreed interpretation on the meaning and scope of Tthe human rights and
          fundamental freedoms whose proted tion was provided for by the Charter of the
          United Nations. From then on the int rnatioria] protection of human rights
          from excess or misuse of power entered international law and complemented and
          strengthened national protection. The Universal Declaration was acclaimed and
          accepted by countries of all cultural, religious, and economic and social
          systems
          (C) Absence of Islamic sëholárs i n the EIaboràtjon of the Universal
          Declaration of Human Rights
          44. The Iranian Governrnèiitjta téd that “no I larniè sdho.1ar or Muslim
          jurisprudent had a chance to participate (in the preparation of the Universal
          Declaration).. Therefore Islamic States do have the right to reserve their
          views on the validity or applicability bf those p ovisions. Many Islamic
          States have ratified the Declaration and this does ive rise to
          responsibiLity, bQt ratification is not synonimous with satisfaction” (“The
          Viewpoints”, pp 7, 8, para 8)
          45. The participation of Islamiá. schOlars in the pre ration of the Universal
          Declaration was indeed limited, and may even be considered extremely limited
          considering the extent and importàncé of Islamic culture. NOnetheless it was
          not entirely absent. At least one Muslim scholar was consulted by UNESCO:
          Mr. Huinayun Kabir. (Textes r unis par 1'UNESCO, “Les droits de l'homme, la
          tradition de l'Islam et les probl mes du monde actuel ”, 1 pp. 158—161).
          Mr. Kabir favàured a universal sy stem of human rights under a world
          authority. Furthermore it may be assumed that representatives of Islamic
          countries at the United Nations were conversant with Islamic teaching and were
          professed Moslems.
          46. The argument and criticism referred to above may be considered of
          political character. In 1948 Islamic countries did not have the influence
          they exert today in international relations. From a stri'Otly legal point of
          view the case must be viewed under a different light. As a matter Of fact
          official representatives of Islamic member States of the United Nations
          in 1948 didparticipate in the proceedings. The crucial point in regard to
          t e legal capacity to oblige the State consists of authorization and
          accreditation through full power to act on behalf of the State (Convéiitfon on
          the Law of Treaties, arts. 7and8). The professional qualifications of the
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
          page 12
          delegates who express the official position of a State or group of States is
          not •an element of the will to consent. The selection o delegates with
          suitable specializations to deal with the subject matters under debate in
          international fora is left to the discretion and wisdom of each Government.
          47. Certainly it would be possible that national representatives become
          liable under municipal law but this would be an internal affair.
          Responsibility under municipal, law does not affect international obligations
          acquired by duly authorized and accredited representatives . The Convention
          on the Law of Treaties (Art. 27) prescribes that States parties can not invoke
          municipal law in order to justify the non compliance with a treaty. The
          legality of the consent. to be bound by international instruments does not
          impede in any way the accountability of national officers who did not follow
          instructions, or exceeded powers. .Conversely he accountability mentioned,
          before does not affect international obligations.
          (d) An Islamic DeclaratIon of Human Rights
          48. The Iranian Government referred to an Islamic Declaration of Human Rights
          that could redress the flaws of international instruments adopted under the
          aegis of the United. Nations., “The Islamic. Declaration, onc.e finalized,, will
          make the most notable achievement of co—operation among Islamic States on this
          iàsue and they shall undoubtedly find it more p rtinent to their concerns
          regarding human. rights, and fundamental f.reedoms' C 'he . Viewpoints”., p.. 8,.
          para.9). ‘ . , , ... .. . ..•, . . . , .•. .
          49 An Islamic Declaration of Human Rights would certainly contribute to the
          consolidation of human rights around the world. The. regional, declarations
          adopted so far, s those of the EuropeanCothxnunity and the Ofganizatfonof
          American States have not departed from the structure. of in'ternational' ,
          protection of human rights of' the United Nations. They have' increased the
          protection of human rights through special commissions of surveillance and
          even ad hoc courts of justice. That is, regional declarations have g.one
          beyond the system sponsored by the United Nations.
          50. An Islamic Declaration, of Human Rights might. expr.ess.particu.lar .
          viewpoints, including religious and philosophical foundations, but it may be
          expected that, the same as previous regional declarations, it will . be
          consistent with the universal system of the United Nations and will increase
          the protection of human rights with a special commission and a court. of
          justice.
          51. Judgement may be deferred in order to examine the final product, ‘but in
          the meantime, on account of the rich cultural heritage and the humanitarian
          content of Islamic teaching and tenets, the formulation of a declaration
          consistent with international law may be expected.
          52. The Universal Declaration has acquire'd the status,of customary
          international law. Consequently it binds all States, including those that
          were not members of the United Nations at the time of its adoption
          Furthermore new members implicitly accept previous decisions of the competent
          organs of international organizations. It is commanded by reason and
          sanctioned by custom that new members accept the transactions that have ‘been
          performed within the terms of the constitutive treaties.
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          (e) Municipal Law and international Law
          53. The departure. of municipal law from internatioi a1 law has been the
          subject of careful study by eminent scholars and judges and has produced
          extensive legal liteLature A dominant consensus has energed in the sense
          that municipal law nas to be integrated witnin international law ani
          consequently any departure leaves international law in full fotce
          International law must not be bent by deviate muriicioal norms
          54 Accordingly international law preserves its features, contents and
          functions in spite of contradictory municipal law International
          jurisprudence has proclaimed the dictum that as far as international law is
          concerned,, municipal law operates as a fact and no more than that. The
          admission of unilateral departures from existing international law would
          threaten the security and stability of the entire fabric of international
          relations The values, motives and ends behind those departures, as
          pertaining to the domestic jurisdiction of the State, remain unchallenged
          (f) Selective. Adherence to International. Instruments
          55 In the case of Iran the main effect of the alleged incompatibility of
          international law with Islamic law regarding certain p ovisions of the two
          Covenants and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights'.'há' 'bèen the se 'lec ive
          adherence to a number of provisions and the refusal to apcept'.the validity, and
          applicability of others, as indicated b i '-the quotations mentioned at the
          beginning of this section. .... ‘.
          56 The legal, political and moral nature of the instruments concerning human
          rights does not admit selective -acceptance and rejection Each instrument
          constitutes an indivisible body, and once a State is bound, it is bound by the
          entire instrument Termination and suspension of international obligations
          are ruled out with respect to human rights Nonetheless there are a few ways
          open to countries which encounter difficulties of application of or are
          displeased with existing norms
          57 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights permits that in
          case of public emergency which threatens the national life, a State party may
          take measures derogating from its obligations regarding a number of
          provisions, “to the extent strictly required by the exigences of the
          situation”. Though the ‘Iranian situation appears to meet the condition
          indicated in that provision, the Iranian Government has not taken advantage of
          the/authorization under the Covenant.
          58 Claims and criticism against existing norms may constitute the first
          stage of a process leading to the establishment of new ñorms In principle
          all norms of international law are susceptible to change, even those of
          jus coqens , as stipulated in the Convention on the Law of Treaties (arts. 53
          and 64), and no rule or human institution is immune to change But in so far
          as the process of change has not culminated in the establishment of nesi norms,
          the existing law has to be respected and applied. International relations
          would become untenable and, in extreme situations, chaotic, if unilateral
          positions of States would suffice to introduce exceptions to existing law,
          even where those positions or actions are well enshrined in the cultural
          heritage of the States concerned.
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          59. Furthermore, it may happen that certain specific ways of application of
          general rules to particular cases might be adapted in order to take into
          account the peculiarities of each concrete case or situation. Thinking in a.
          speculative way, a working arrangement of action and inaction, formal
          authorization and mere toleration could be conceived. This expedient would
          have to be carefully studied and worked ou.t with respect to concrete
          situations and cases only. It could not be ruled out a priori , but to
          transform it into a means of disregarding, putting aside, getting rid of or
          introducing unilateral modifidations to binding international instruments
          would be inconsistent with, the existing system of human rights. This would be
          another example of application of the ancient adage saying that whereas
          justice is good equity is even better
          2 Replies to Alleged Violations of Human Rights
          60 The Iranian Government has refused to provide detailed replies to the
          allegations of violations of human rights presented to its consideration on
          four grounds: the terms of”the resolution of the Commission on Human Rights
          creating the mandate, the method of conveying the' allegations to the attention
          of the Government', the qualifications of' the ‘witnesses interviewed by the
          Special Representative., arid the use of a certain terminology, in official
          resolutions and documents The question regarding the terms of the mandate
          F will not be discu sed in this report
          (a) The method of conveying allegations
          61. With respect to the method of conveying allegàtiáns to the attention' ' f'
          the Government, the Iranian Government stated that the groups that had
          provided such information were disqualified as valid interlocutors and that
          they had “the only common denomiri ator that they all follow the same
          objective of undermining the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran It
          is quite questionable, therefore, that these groups have been the only sources
          of information for the so called detailed and specific allegations
          Nevertheless the Commission should be informed that to respond to these so
          called “allegations” in the present format creates a legal problem. None of
          these groups have regis tered themselves or are qualified to be registered as a
          political party or a minority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. To respond to
          thesespecificsectioñs of the Report would implicitely imply recognition of
          the status the Special Representative has granted them. A situation that
          would run contrary to'Iranian law” (“The Viewpoints”, pp. 10—11, para. 23).
          62,,. It is necessary to clarify that the Special Representative has not
          granted any recognition to any of the groups which have served as channels of
          communication of alleged violations of human rights. The mention of the
          groups that have acted as vehicles for the presentation of concrete cases can
          not and should not be construed as intended to grant or recognize them any
          particular status. ,The mention of those groups has no other purpose than to
          provide the Iranian Government with a complete picture of the allegations. . ‘
          The granting of recognition or status would go beyond the mandate of the ,
          Special Representative and would not correspond to his intention.
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          63, All the a1leg tions concern individualsand many of them weremade by
          iridividual in their individual capacity. The political affiliations of those
          persons are not under discussion. They may or may not be members,
          sympathizers or simply acquaintances of any of tne groups referred to by tee
          Iranian Government They are human beings entitled to the enjoyment of
          protection of human rights. International law on human right avitates on
          the generic and most common dimensions of human beings, without consideration
          of particular features such as race, nationality, sex, religio.n,culture or
          economic or social position. Natural érsons are racognized in their inherent
          dignity and worth.
          64. The study of the situation of human rights prevailing in a given country
          rec iire the coliection of a1lavailableinförm tion. tt wbuld be unwise to
          reject a priori certain sources and to accept others Indeed all information
          is debatable and subject to scrutiny It is precisely for that reason that
          the circumstantiáte i views of the Government concerned have animportant
          role After a controversial examination of the cases it would be possible to
          have a more accurate view of the situation regarding human rights Judgement
          would follow the examination of facts and vehicles of information
          65 The Iranian Government suggested, as an alternative, that the Special
          Representativémayrecéive information from dertain po.iitiäa l groups
          informally and convey it to the Government in the same manner, in order to get
          the öff [ cial consent tô publlsh the namés of such grdäps..in officia1
          documents The Government objects to the publication of the names of such
          groups Ileging that it prôvidés them ‘with “publicity, exposure and cloutl t
          (“TheViewpoints”, pP. 11, 12, 15, paras; '28, 40(g)) if public documents of
          the United Nations are used for propaganda purposes, that fact goes beyond thè
          intention and the -capacity of control of the competent-organs-. The suggested
          procedure might be adopted by the Commission on Human Rights, but according to
          the present formulation of the mandate the Special Representative has to
          present to the Commission, through his reports, all the available information,
          without any restrictive procedure To further clarify this suggested
          procedure, it is convenient to have in mind the distInction between
          information provided by groups as such and information provided by
          individuals. The suggestion mentioned above concerns only information
          emanating from and concerning groups.
          (b) The qualifications of witnesses
          66. With respect to the qualifications of the witnesses interviewed by the
          Special Representative, the latter has received communications and examined
          witnesses in accordance with the well established practice of international
          organs dealing with human rights. The Inter—American Commission on Human
          Rights started this practice in 1962, and from then on this procedure has been
          extensively applied. Witnesses are indispensable to collect firsthand
          information and to sessthe prevalent situation of human rights.
          67. The Iranian Government would like the Special Representative to apply the
          restrictive rule of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
          (art. 41) (“The Viewpoints”, p. 11, para. 24). This rule applies to the Human
          Rights Committee and has not been adopted as practice by other international
          organs entrusted with the protection of human rights.
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          68. The mandate of the Commission on Human Rights empowers the Special
          Representative “to make a thorough study of the human rights situation based
          on such information as he may deem relevant, including comments and material
          provided by the Government” (resolution 1984/54, para. 4). The mandate
          therefore leaves it to the discretion of the Special Representative to
          determine the relevant information. Certainly discretion can. not be equated
          to arbitrariness. The Special Representative has used that authorization
          within the terms of the international practice on human rights and in
          accordance with duly and widely recognized international, standards.
          (C) The question of the term “Minority ”
          69 The Iranian Government has objected to the use of the terin”minority” as
          applied to the members. .of the Baha'ifaith. The adduced motivation is, the..... . ,
          absence of a standard definition at the United Nations And, irideed, the
          Sub—Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
          Minorities is far from reaching an agreed definition of this term. -
          the Cornmiss ion Hpln,
          The Special
          the same manner, within
          70. The term “minority” has been consistently used by
          Rights in its resolutions in reference to the Baha'is.
          Representative has sometirnes.. referred to this group in
          the terms of - reference of his manda.te.
          71. The term “minority” has been studied by sociologists and has entered and
          has been incorporated by.the. internatidnal lexicon for. a long, time
          Sociologists generally define “minority” as a group of people differentiated
          from others of the. same society by race, nationality, religion or language..
          The app ication of that term to the Baha' is would not add or diminish ,..,,
          characterizations to their entfty They are what they afe irre pective of the
          words used to refertó them. The Special Representative deals with the
          Baha'is as individuals, and is interested in groups as formed by individuals
          and as providers of information on individuals The view of the Iranian
          Government denying the condition of minority to the Baha'is has been duly
          reflected in the Special Representative's previous reports
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          V. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
          72. The presentation by the Iranian Government of a document (“The
          ‘Viewpoints ' t ) containing its views on several issues and its opinions on the
          binding force of international instruments on human rights, has helped to
          clarify controversial points and provided material which makes it possible to
          have an insight into the intricate situation of that country. Clarification
          of conflicting approaches and interpretations may sometimes consitute the
          first stage of a process leading to some kind of common understanding and to
          the eventual solution of the outstanding problems. The Iranian document has
          in particular permitted the Special Representative to elucidate his own
          approaches and views on conflicting points.
          73. The Special Representative welcomes the statement of the Iranian
          Government that some provisions of the International. Covenant on Civil and
          Political Rights, particularly those which may be considered as jus cogens ,
          are compatible with Islamic Law. This statement clears the normative basis
          for the examination of the concrete alegations of violations of human rights
          submitted to the attention of the Iranian Government. Disparate official
          statements on this subject have been registered, but it seems that, with
          regard to the situation of human rights, the position officially communicated
          to the Special Representative should prevail. The Special Representative
          expresses the hope that the Iranian Government will increase the normative.,
          area of agreed application of norms concerning human rights in order to cover
          the entire international instruments by which it is bound as a member. of the. .,
          United Nations and a party to the two Covenants. This final:, outcome would.
          entail the abandonment of the selective adherence to onie provisions of .the .
          international instruments.
          74 The original perception from which the Iranian Government derives its
          initial positions and theses with respect to the international protection.of
          human rights may be considered as deeply enshri ned in its cultural life and.
          its current natIonal movement. The preliminary diffici i1ties with respec to
          the full application of the instruments on human rights could thus be
          explicable. The statement on the compatibility' of dertain international
          provisions with Islamic law may be understood as an effort of accomodation to
          the international obligations and as the beginning of a sustained trend that
          may eventually reach the point'of acceptance of the positions adopted by the.
          General Aásembly of the United NatIons and the Commission onHuman Rights in
          their successive resolutions. The discussion and the clarification of the
          question of compatibility of international law with Islamic law, and the
          hypothesis of a working arrangement at a concrete and factual level are
          therefore quite important. On the part of international organs of protection
          of human rights a parallel effort might be undertaken in order to take mt 9
          account the peculiarities of the Iranian situation and to facilitate and help
          the full compliance of Iran with the provisions of the international
          instruments. Comments made and information provided by the Iranian Government
          have been extensively quoted and referred to in the reports prepared by the
          Special Representative previously, particularly in the Interim Report
          (A/42/648). Both the pr cti'ce ‘of international organs of protection of human
          rights and the terms of the mandate (resolution 1984/54, para. 4) determine
          that comments from the Iranian Government should be received, considered and
          included in the analysis of the prevalent situation. ‘
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          75. The views of the Iranian Government concern a variety of subjects, from
          the qualifications of groups that have acted. as medium for conveying
          information to the compatibility of international law with Islamic law. The
          Special Representative has been unable to agree on some of those views. There
          is no doubt that the original perception based on the system of international
          law on human rights differs from the original religious, perception of the
          Iranian Government. Nonetheless in the course of the oral and written
          dialogue some points have been identified upon which a kind of working
          understanding may exist. The Special Representative has tried to take the
          Iranian views into account as much as possible, to the extent this was
          consistent with the structure and operation of international instruments on
          human rights. Thus, a possible way was indicated to give some consideration
          to the Iranian desire to apply particular rules to the use of information
          provided by organized groups (supra, p.. 65). The present use of such
          information is consistent with the practice of international organizations but
          there is no legal obstacle for the Commission to adopting particular rules in
          handling such information It has also been acknowledged that the
          participation of Islamic scholars in the preparation of the Universal
          Declaration of Human Rights was relatively minor, considering the importance
          and extension of Islamic culture, without attributing any legal effect to that
          fact An hypothesis has also been outlined according to which a working
          arrangement with respect to concrete cases might be worked Out in order to
          overcome obstacles of local character while ensuring the compliance with
          internatiônál norms (supra, p 59). , , ,; , , ,•• . ,,
          76 In his introduction to the Interim Report (A/42/648) the Special
          Representative indicated, with respect to the enjoyment of human rights, the
          coexistence of two complementary but distinct elements with their respective
          -lev-els-cf- operation: - the normative -and iega-l level -and the level-of - - ‘-
          implementation The normative lever is important and is cons tituted by
          international instruments and municipal law. But despite its importance it
          may have scarce practical occurrence if the level of implementation is
          faulty Governments therefore have to monitor carefully the level of
          implementation through the actions of both petty and high officers, in order
          to fully comply with international obligations
          77. With respect to the normative level, ithas not yet been possible to
          obtain complete texts of the pertinent Iranian laws, such as the Penal Code.
          It has therefore not been possible to examine the compatibilitj of the laws
          with international instruments Nonetheless, it has been possible to examine,
          to some extent, the level of implementation on the basis of oral and written
          information, and the Special Representative has expressed in the Interim
          Report his concern regarding the treatment given to prisoners during -
          interrogation and before and after thefinal verdict, as well as at the
          extremely summary and informal proceedings, unawarness of defendants of
          specific accusations against them, lack of legal counsel and other ,
          irregularities. . :1
          79 The Iranian Government provided information quoting provisions of the
          Constitution and the Penal Code concerning the punishment of judicial . 1
          officials and non judicial staff engaged in inalt eatment and molestation of
          
        
          
          E/CN.4/ 1988/24
          page 19
          orisorlers (A/42/ 548 p 16, para 46 It is the considered view of th
          Spec a1 Representative that complaints regarding maltreatment and torture
          should not be discarded without a thorough examination of each case, since
          sucn practices are strictly forbidden by municipal la.q and international law
          79 The communication of allegations of violations of human rights has a
          positive aspect, as it gives information to the Government concerned on facts
          that may have escaped its kno .iiedgé ánd'may orient th investigation and
          contribute to the possible redress of any weakness in the national. system of
          protection of human rights The communication of such allegations tnus
          contributes to the fair functioning of national institutions The furnishing
          of circumstantiated replies to such allegations also has a positive aspect for
          any Government As a matter of fact the Government concerned may benefit from
          the inclusion of the replies in the reports,as both the General Assembly and
          the Commission on Human Rights would be aware of its views and would have
          additional information to formulate a balanced judgement on the current
          situation The replies are part of a consistent practice on this subject
          matter. Furthermore they would not im l any recoqnition or granting of
          status to any of the groups involved in political strife or, in any other way,
          active in a given society In the case of Iran the replies would be part of a
          dialogue between the Iranian Government and the Commission on Human Rights
          through the Special Representative, and nothii g more In the absence of
          concrete official replies to allegations of violations of human rights only
          one side voices its views, while the other side — the Government — remains
          silent.
          80 It may be convenient to emphasize again that the international protection
          of human rights has a co—operative character which derives from the text of
          the Charter of the-United Nations Itactiuatesth co—operation romjjsed - -
          among members of the United Nations The objective of the exercise is to
          ensure compliance with international obligations on the basis of co—operation
          of each State and each Government. It is nota judicial procedure. It
          appeals to good will, to moral and political standards and to legal norms
          whose enforcement is, for the time being, imperfect. Its goal is not to
          condemn a Government but to redress a given situation
          81 The Centre for Human Rights has dev loped a programme of technical
          assistance which is based on the co—operative character of the action and
          surveillance by the con petent organs of the United Nations, whose ultimate
          recourse is world public opinion Governments wishing to be fully and
          thoroughly acquainted withthe bntinuing n'd fast developments in the field
          of human rights and to know the intricacies of the application of
          international instruments may take advantage of this service (Commission on
          Human Rights, resolution 1987/37 and basic information provided by the Centre)
          82 In the light of the foregoing analysis the Special Representatives has
          reached the following conclusions (of which the chapter on “Observations” of
          the Interim Report may be considered as the introductory part):
          (1) The Special Representative appreciates the co—operation of the
          Iranian Government and expresses his hope that this co—operation will reach
          the level of full co—operation in the near future, in compliance with the
          
        
          
          E/CN. 4/1988/24
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          reiterative resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the
          Commission on Human Rights The Special Representative also expresses the
          hope that the Iranian Government will reconsider its position on some issues
          referred to in this report, in order to fully comply v 'ith toe provisions of
          binding international instruments on human rights. The Special Represer itative
          believes that the development of coincidgnce of views and • the ac ua1.,
          implementation of the co—operative character of the international protection
          of human rights may lead to the gradual solution of the pending problems
          (2) The alleged incompatibility between some provisions of international
          law on human rights and Islamic law is a domestic problem that should be
          solved by the Government concerned, because it does not affect or change
          per se international obligations. From the point of view of international law
          the obligations acquired by the Islamic Republic of Iran as a member State of
          the United Nations and as a party to the two International Covenants are fully
          binding and do not admit exceptions on account of constitutional problems,
          rules and regulations of municipal law, or cultural or historic background—
          even if justified from a national point of view
          (3) Notwithstanding that assertion of principle and taking into account
          the co—operative character of the international protection of human rights it
          would be possible to make efforts in order to meet some of the misgivings and
          concerns of the Iranian Government at a very concrete level and without
          belittling the full force and the right application of agreed and binding
          provisions on human rights.
          (4) Although the selective acceptance by the Iranian Government of
          important provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
          —Rights-provides a normative basas for -the five categories of compaaints
          commur icated tothe Government; it is expected, as a matter of principle, that
          the Iranian Government may reach the point of complete recognition of all
          provisions of binding iternational instruments without discrimination of any
          kind -
          (5) Allegations on violations of human rights have been communicated to
          the Iranian Government in accordance with international practice. These
          allegations refer to individuals. Whenever..certain groups have played the
          role of intermediaries to convey information the individual character of such
          information has been kept As human rights protect human beings in their most
          common and generic dimensions, their political or religious affiliations,
          their change of citizenship and other particular conditions or characteristics
          are of no relevance
          (6) The circumstantiated official replies to communications of alleged
          violations of human rights would certainly contribute to a better
          understanding and evaluation of the situation regarding human rights and would
          inform the international community of the concrete views of the ranian
          Government as well a the result of the investigations on specific cases.
          Furthermore, these replies would be an important element of the full
          co-operation required by the Commission on Human Rights.
          - -.. - I
          .1
          
        
          
          E/CN.4/ 1988/24
          page 2l: .:'
          (7) The Special Representative expresses concern on account of
          communications referring to new cases of summary executions and of informatjor
          according to which some prisoners were in danger of execution. Neverthelens,
          the Special Representative notes witn satisfaction the information according
          to which five prominent members of the Baha'i faith who were arrested in
          Teheran in October 1987, including two former members of the National Baha'i
          Council of Iran who were alleged to be in danger of execution, were recently
          released from prison without any ôndi tions. Inf o ñi tioh on growing economic
          pressure on Baha'is, such as cancellation of business licen es, confiscation-
          of property, dismissal from governmept jobs and loss of pensions, as well as
          denial of higher education, still continues to b& received in a consistent
          manner
          (8) Information on maltreatment and torture in Prtsoris continues töb è
          received and was the subject of pathetic and moving declarations by witnesses
          who had direct experience of the conditions prevailing and the bahaviour of
          officers in prisons Some witnesses presented the physical effects of
          maltreatment that could be seen and interpreted by a layman Medical doct5rs
          gave expert opinion linking those effects to torture Moreover, information
          on irregularities of various kinds in the course of trials was abundant,
          consistent and Convincing Consequently the Government may wish to initiate
          an urgent investigation of those complaints in order to take measures of
          redress.
          (9) The Special Representative continues to believe that acts still,
          occur in the Islamic Republic .6f Iran which are inconsistent with
          international instruments on human rights, and that the situation in that
          country justifies continuing international concern, study and constant
          monitoring by the competent organs of the United Nations -
          
        

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