Brown University: Here I am Crying Far and Loud: A Night of Iranian Literature,
Thursday 29 Dec 11

I pull back the thick curtains of my hotel room. The sunshine of Cairo fills in the room. The constant sound of car honking their through the heavy traffic breaks the silence. I face a painting of Cairo; it is just like Tehran.

Rights of the Child The Torture and Execution of Youth in Iran
Thursday 13 Oct 11

If it is indeed a difference of opinion and Iran deems it more appropriate to sentence children and adolescents to execution than to send them to rehabilitation centers, why did Iran sign the Convention on the Rights of the Child?

Gentlemen, Thank You!
Friday 07 Oct 11

Siamak Pourzand’s repeated letters, and those of his family members, to the former president, current president, Mr. Sadegh Larijani and others are pieces of paper lying in a trash can and nobody cares to look into this man’s case who has been sentenced with espionage based on fake confessions derived under duress by judge Jaafar Saber Zafarghandi.

Constitutional Obstacles to the Realization of Human Rights and Democracy in Iran - Part 14
Saturday 10 Sep 11

Besides the patent inequalities described above, a close look at the Constitution reveals serious legal impediments to the fulfillment of the necessary conditions for the freedom of opinion, religion, and sect. These are, of course, to add to the arbitrary decisions the authorities have at times applied to non-Muslims in order to restrict their freedom. Among the examples of such policies, we can refer to the right to ration books, university entrance, registration of marriages and employment with the result that a group of Iranians have been deprived of their religious and human rights.

Constitutional Obstacles to the Realization of Human Rights and Democracy in Iran - Part 13


The list may go on and on, but I think my point is clear enough about the fact that the notion of equal citizenship is seriously violated throughout the body of Iranian civil and criminal law. A comparable unequal treatment can be seen in discriminatory laws targeting non-Muslims. In fact, existing laws leave these minorities in a highly vulnerable position. To be sure, certain articles of the Constitution recognize equal rights for all citizens. Specifically, Article 19 of the Constitution states, “the people of Iran from any ethnic or tribal background enjoy equal rights and color, race, language and such likes do not entail any advantages.”

Constitutional Obstacles to the Realization of Human Rights and Democracy in Iran - Part 12


Judicial security and social equality are two prerequisites of any social or political development. The rights and duties of citizens are defined in the context of legislation and laws, while the relationship between the citizen and the state is a mutual one and must be upheld by both sides. In the modern world, the citizen’s confidence in the state is secured only if his or her capabilities and aspirations are encouraged and the individual citizen is convinced of equal rights with others. It is only then that the state is accepted or perceived as the most reliable protector of the citizen’s legal rights.

Constitutional Obstacles to the Realization of Human Rights and Democracy in Iran - Part 11


As a result of the stresses endured by cultural producers of Iran over the past ten years, their professional, social, and even physical existence has been at serious risk. Fortunately, opposition to freedom of thought in general and freedom of press in particular is not a commonly held position by all members of the Iranian state. As mentioned above, after the presidential elections of 1997, President Khatami appointed a number of his colleagues with similar views to run the important ministries of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Interior.

Constitutional Obstacles to the Realization of Human Rights and Democracy in Iran - Part 10


The continuation of the process of reform in contemporary Iran depends on finding a space for criticism in the country’s new political culture. Critical thinking has been the cornerstone of modernity. As such, a fundamental priority for cultural life of Iran remains the acceptance of a healthy tradition of criticism. For a nation with little official appreciation for such tradition, however, achieving this end is neither easy nor without conflicts.