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Iran “You Can Detain Anyone for Anything” Iran’s Broadening Clampdown on Independent Activism This 51-page report documents the expansion in scope and number of the individuals and activities persecuted by the Iranian government over the last two years. HRW Index No.: E2001 January 7, 2008 Also available in 
Download PDF, 240 KB, 53 pgs Purchase online Download E-Book Down to Business The Human Rights Council’s Backlog of Work As it enters its second year, the Council must take hold of the many situations that “require the HRC’s attention,” and take action of some sort to address them. The HRC’s efforts to address these situations will provide an important indication of its ability to fulfil the purpose for which it was created. The Council must seize this opportunity to demonstrate its relevance and responsiveness to human rights victims in these countries and beyond. September 10, 2007 Printer friendly version Denying the Right to Education This briefing paper documents how the government barred at least 12 students from university registration this past year, despite the fact that graduate programs had accepted them on the basis of successful competitive entrance examinations. The briefing paper also documents the cases of another 54 students who were allowed to register only after agreeing to sign statements that they will refrain from peaceful political activities. October 25, 2006 Also available in
Ministers of Murder: Iran’s New Security Cabinet In June 2005, Iranians elected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had campaigned on a platform of improving economic conditions, as their new president. Ahmadinejad assumed his new post in early August 2005 with the backing of those political factions in Iran who most vigorously opposed political and social reforms initiated by his predecessor, Mohammad Khatami. This support, coupled with positions Ahmadinejad took during the campaign, caused human rights defenders and activists in Iran to view his rise to power with great concern. December 15, 2005 Printer friendly version False Freedom Online Censorship in the Middle East and North Africa This 144-page report documents online censorship and cases in which Internet users have been detained for their online activities in countries across the region, including Tunisia, Iran, Syria and Egypt. These attempts to control the flow of information online contradict governments' national and international legal commitments to freedom of opinion and expression and the summit's own Declaration of Principles. The report is based on an examination of thousands of Web sites from Middle Eastern countries and interviews with dozens of writers, bloggers, computer experts and human rights activists. HRW Index No.: E1710 November 15, 2005 Download PDF, 1800 KB, 118 pgs Purchase online Download E-Book Access Denied: Iran’s Exclusionary Elections On June 17, 2005, Iran holds its ninth presidential election, as well as mid-term elections for the seventh parliament. As in all previous elections, candidates wishing to compete in these elections must first win approval by the powerful Guardian Council, a twelve-man body accountable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, an unelected figure who represents the highest political authority in the country. June 12, 2005 Printer friendly version No Exit Human Rights Abuses Inside the Mojahedin Khalq Camps The Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) is an armed Iranian opposition group that was formed in 1965. An urban guerrilla group fighting against the government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, it was an active participant in the anti-monarchy struggle that resulted in the 1979 Iranian revolution. At present, the MKO is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department and several European governments. The MKO’s leadership is engaged in an extensive campaign aimed at winning support from Western politicians in order to have the designation of a terrorist organization removed. May 18, 2005 Also available in
Printer friendly version "Like the Dead in Their Coffins" Torture, Detention, and the Crushing of Dissent in Iran This 73-page report provides the first comprehensive account of the treatment of political detainees in Tehran’s Evin Prison and in secret prisons around the capital since the government launched its current crackdown in 2000. Human Rights Watch has documented systematic abuses against political detainees, including arbitrary arrest, detention without trial, torture to extract confessions, prolonged solitary confinement, and physical and psychological abuse. Human Rights Watch calls on the Iranian government to release all political prisoners and effectively prohibit torture immediately. HRW Index No.: E1602 June 7, 2004 Download PDF, 414 KB, 67 pgs Purchase online Briefing to the 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights on Iran Human Rights Watch calls on the Commission on Human Rights to re-establish a Special Procedure to monitor and report on the human rights situation in Iran. The Commission should call upon the Iranian authorities to facilitate visits by thematic Special Procedures and working groups, and make public and time-based commitments to implementing their recommendations. February 14, 2003 Iraqi Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Displaced Persons: This briefing paper describes the current humanitarian and security conditions faced by hundreds of thousands of Iraqi residents, refugees, and displaced persons, and examines priority concerns and potential humanitarian consequences in the event of war. It urges relevant governments, including those of Iraq, the United States and its allies, as well as Iraq's neighbors to uphold their obligations to these vulnerable populations and to implement several key measures to minimize harm. In identifying some of the potential humanitarian consequences of war, this briefing paper particularly focuses on the displacement of people both inside and outside of Iraq. ( Read selected sections in Persian.) February 13, 2003 Printer friendly version EU-Iran Conference Must Set Human Rights Benchmarks Backgrounder on Human Rights Dialogue This backgrounder was prepared for EU officials to assist them in identifying benchmarks for seeking improvements in the human rights situation in Iran. Human Rights Watch called on the participants in the EU-Iran human rights conference to incorporate these important recommendations in the dialogue. December 14, 2002 No Safe Refuge The Impact of the September 11 Attacks on Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants in the Afghanistan Region and Worldwide The backlash against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants throughout the world is a serious side effect of the September 11 attacks. While governments have legitimate security concerns, there must be a balance with human rights and refugee protection standards. October 18, 2001 Printer friendly version Crisis of Impunity: The Role of Pakistan, Russia, and Iran in Fueling the Civil War in Afghanistan The United Nations Security Council should impose a comprehensive embargo on all military assistance against all warring factions in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch urged today. In this report, Human Rights Watch accused Pakistan, Iran, and Russia of providing military support to Afghan factions with a long record of committing gross abuses of human rights. Other states in the region have also contributed to the ongoing war. The 55-page report details the nature of military support provided to the warring parties; the major transit routes used to move arms and other equipment; the suppliers; the role of state and nonstate actors; and the response of the international community. Human Rights Watch conducted research on military assistance to the Taliban and the United Front over a two-year period, traveling to both Kabul and areas of Afghanistan under United Front control, as well as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan, and interviewing government officials, members of the diplomatic community, military officers, civil servants, journalists, academics, and others. HRW Index No.: C1303 July 1, 2001 Download PDF Purchase online Iran: Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 From the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers There are indications of under-18s in government armed forces as the voluntary recruitment age is sixteen. There is also reportedly extensive child involvement in paramilitary organisations. Child soldiers, some as young as nine, were used extensively during the Iran-Iraq war. Some opposition groups are said to recruit children, including from expatriate communities living in Europe. June 12, 2001 Stifling Dissent: The Human Rights Consequences of Inter-Factional Struggle in Iran The factional struggle behind the current presidential elections in Iran is having a devastating impact on human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The 20-page report says that conservative-dominated institutions in Iran have used arbitrary detention, unfair trial, political violence, and restrictions on basic freedoms in order to prevent the reform movement from enacting its programs. These conservative institutions, which are not elected, include the Judiciary, the Council of Guardians and the office of the Leader of the Islamic Republic. They have launched a wave of repression against the independent media, opposition political activists, independent intellectuals, and reform-minded government officials. The report says that fundamental changes are urgently needed to bring Iran's legal and administrative policies and practices in line with its obligations under international law. HRW Index No.: E1303 May 1, 2001 Download PDF Purchase online Iran: Landmine Monitor Report 2000 Key developments since March 1999: The first known conference on the landmine problem in Iran was held in Tehran on 15-16 February 2000, organized by the non-governmental High Center of Research and Informatics. Iran has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. As reasons, the government has cited its special geographical situation and stated that a prohibition on antipersonnel mines should not prejudice a state's legitimate right of self-defense.153 Officials also cite a lack of viable alternatives to defend Iran's borders. August 1, 2000 Parliamentary Elections in Iran Since the election of President Khatami in May 1997, Iranian reformists have spoken openly of respecting basic freedoms and the rule of law. In Iranian society generally, many petty social restrictions have been eased. The atmosphere surrounding the current parliamentary election campaign in Iran is notably freer than the last time around, in March 1996. But a number of human rights issues still impede a truly free and fair election in the Islamic Republic, and little has changed in the legal framework by which rights are protected in Iran. February 15, 2000 Also available in 
Printer friendly version Background Briefing On The Killings in Iran Five Iranian writers have been killed in the last four weeks in Iran. All of the writers were critics of the government; all lived in Tehran. December 17, 1998 Press Backgrounder on Human Rights in Iran President Mohammed Khatami of Iran is scheduled to visit the United Nations next week. On the occasion of this newsworthy trip, Human Rights Watch has prepared the following backgrounder on the domestic situation in Iran. We also attach a recent press release on the Shi'a minority in Afghanistan, which may draw Iran into armed conflict outside its borders. September 17, 1998 Iran: Religious and Ethnic Minorities Discrimination in Law and Practice The situation of religious and ethnic minorities is a neglected aspect of the human rights picture in Iran. With the exception of the persecution of the Baha'i religious minority, little has been written about human rights problems experienced by minorities. Yet, as this report shows, ethnic and religious differences underlie some of the most persistent and serious human rights problems in Iran today. Gathering information about the situation in parts of Iran that are particularly inaccessible to the international media and human rights researchers, such as the Kurdish region of the northwest or the Baluchi region of the southeast, presented particular problems when preparing this report. Information provided by political opposition groups active in these regions is often difficult to verify. Some minority religious communities, apparently out of fear, tend to prefer not to call attention to discrimination against them, making information harder to collect. This appears to be the case with Jews and Zoroastrians. Even activists living abroad are reticent in providing specific information because they fear that if they are identified as the source, they or their relatives still living in Iran will become the target of government reprisals, or that reprisals may be taken against their relatives still living in Iran. Iranian government attacks against its opponents overseas continue to justify such fears. For this reason, several of the activists who provided information to Human Rights Watch are, at their own request, not identified in the report. Human Rights Watch visited Iran at the invitation of the government in January 1996. While in Iran, it heard unverified reports of human rights violations directed against Sunni Muslim Baluchi activists. In April 1997, Human Rights Watch wrote to the government requesting permission to visit Iran in order to research the status of minorities. This letter also requested answers to specific questions about cases of alleged violations of human rights relating to religious and ethnic minorities. The government has not responded to the letter. September 1, 1997 Purchase online |
 
Related Material Films screened in the HRW International Film Festival 2002: Seven Days in Tehran 2002: Seven Days in Tehran 2002: Iran, Veiled Appearances 2002: I'm Taraneh, 15 2001: Secret Ballot 2000: Djomeh 1999: The Lady / Banoo 1999: The Girl in the Sneakers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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