Human rights organization concerned about the approval of new laws against minorities in the Iranian parliament

The human rights organization "Article 19" expressed concern about the plan to add two articles to the Islamic Penal Code regarding "insulting Iranian religions, legal sects, and ethnic groups."

The organization's statement, published on Thursday, December 10, stated that if these articles are approved in their current form, "the rights to freedom of expression, religion, and belief in Iran will face a more severe wave of attacks."

The organization called on members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly to immediately remove this bill from their agenda and to refrain from any attempt to pass similar regulations in the future.

“Instead of amending the law to bring the Islamic Penal Code into line with international human rights laws and standards, Iranian lawmakers have taken steps to further intensify and strengthen discrimination against religious and ideological minorities and suppress freedom of expression within the framework of the country’s laws,” says Salwa Ghazvani, Middle East and North Africa Program Director at Article 19.

According to him, the aforementioned plan "is in effect a green light for judicial, prosecutorial, and law enforcement authorities to intensify the repression of individuals and groups who have already been persecuted simply for exercising their human rights."

Article 19 wrote that the proposed bill "puts individuals belonging to religious and belief minorities, including Baha'is, who have faced systematic persecution and repression over the past decades, at risk of increasing violations of their rights."

The organization's statement said that if the bill is approved in its current form, "there are fears that persecuted religious and ideological minority groups such as Baha'is, Yarsans, Mandaeans, Dervishes, and atheists will also face intensified levels of repression and persecution."

The bill "Adding Articles to Book Five of the Islamic Penal Code (Penalties and Deterrent Punishments) Regarding Insults to Legal Religions and Sects and Iranian Ethnic Groups" was first approved by the Parliament in May 2020 and then sent to the Guardian Council for review.

This council also sent the draft back to the parliament with some objections in May, and as the Article 19 organization announced, the parliament made amendments to it in November of this year.

According to Article 1 of the bill, which seeks to add Article 499 to the Iranian Penal Code, severe penalties will be imposed on "anyone who, with the intention of causing division, violence, or tension in society, or with the knowledge that this will occur, insults Iranian ethnicities, or with the same intention or knowledge, openly insults the divine religions specified in the Constitution."

The draft refers to “religions” and “ethnicities” in general terms, without specifying the groups that may be targeted for incitement to violence and discrimination or creating a requirement to incite to discrimination, hostility, or violence.

Article 2 of the aforementioned bill, which intends to add a 500-repeated article to the Islamic Penal Code, stipulates heavy penalties for anyone who, in the form of a "sect", "group", "collective" or the like, and through "mind control methods and psychological inductions", commits acts such as "educational or deviant propaganda activities that are contrary to or disruptive to the sacred law of Islam" or "making false and misleading claims in religious and religious fields, such as claiming divinity."

Article 19 has expressed concern about the high likelihood of Article 500 being used repeatedly to prosecute as many people as possible under the pretext of following and practicing different beliefs, such as Baha'is and followers of Halqeh mysticism.

Followers of such groups are generally described by the Iranian government as "deviant sects" and usually face charges such as "propaganda against the regime" and "membership in an illegal group," "acts of psychological domination," and "indoctrination" with the intent to corrupt society.

Source: Radio Farda