WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION TO VISIT IRAN FROM 15 TO 27 FEBRUARY 2003

14 February 2003




The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will visit the Islamic Republic of Iran from 15 to 27 February 2003 at the invitation of the Government.

During the field mission, the Group will visit several detention centres in Isfahan, Shiraz, Tehran and Yazd. The delegation will be headed by Louis Joinet, the Working Group’ s Chairman/Rapporteur, and will include Vice-Chairperson Leïla Zerroügui, as well as support staff.

The Working Group will meet with several authorities of the Executive Power, including members of the Ministries for Foreign Affairs, the Interior, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Meetings are also scheduled with authorities of the Judiciary and with Magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice and of the Penal and Revolutionary Courts, as well as with authorities of the Attorney-General Office and of the prison system. Its members will also hold discussions with members of the Parliamentary Article 90 Commission, the Islamic Human Rights Commission, and representatives of non-governmental organizations. The Working Group will visit the Evin prison in Tehran and the prisons of Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd.

The Commission on Human Rights established the Working Group in 1991 to investigate allegations of arbitrary deprivation of liberty. Since then the panel has carried out fact-finding missions to Bahrain, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Peru and Viet Nam. It has also visited Australia, Romania and the United Kingdom to look into the handling of “unauthorized arrivals”, immigrants and asylum-seekers.

The Working Group is composed of five independent experts appointed according to criteria governing equitable geographical distribution. In addition to Mr. Joinet (French) and Ms. Zerroügui (Algerian), its members are Mrs. Soledad Villagra de Biedermann (Paraguayan), Tamás Bán (Hungarian) and Seyyed Mohammad Hashemi (Iranian).

For further information on the Working Group’ s mandate, please consult Fact Sheet No. 26: The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (http:www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs26.htm).


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