Nation's Rights

Article 19: The people of Iran enjoy equal rights, regardless of the tribe or ethnic group to which they belong. Color, race, language, and other such considerations shall not be grounds for special privileges.

Article 20: Members of the nation, whether man or woman, are equally protected by the law. They enjoy all the human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights that are in compliance with the Islamic criteria.

Article 21: The government must secure the rights of women in all respects, according to the Islamic criteria. The government must do the following:

1. create an apt environment for the growth of woman’s personality and restore her material and spiritual rights;

2. protect the mothers, especially during the child-bearing and child-rearing periods, and protect children without guardians;

3. create competent courts to protect the integrity and subsistence of the family;

4. establish a special insurance for widows, elderly women, and women who are without guardians;

5. bestow the custody of children to qualified mothers, whenever in the interests of the children, and in the absence of a legal guardian. Article 22: The dignity, life, property, rights, domicile, and occupations of people may not be violated, unless sanctioned by law. Article 23: Investigation into one’s ideas is forbidden. No one can be subjected to questioning and aggression for merely holding an opinion. Article 24: Publications and the press are free to discuss issues unless such is deemed harmful to the principles of Islam or the rights of the public. The law shall determine the details of this exception. Article 25: It is forbidden to inspect letters and to confiscate them, to disclose telephone conversations, to disclose telegraphic and telex communications, to censor them and to stop their delivery. It is forbidden to wiretap conversations. All forms of inspection are forbidden except according to law. Article 26: The political parties, associations and trade unions, Islamic associations, or associations of the recognized religious minorities are free to exist on the condition that they do not negate the principles of independence, freedom, national unity, Islamic criterion, and the foundation of the Islamic Republic. No one can be pre- vented from participation in these gatherings or forced to participate in one of them. Article 27: Public gatherings and marches are allowed so long as the participants do not carry arms and are not in violation of the fundamental principles of Islam. Article 28: People are free to choose whatever profession they wish as long as this profession is not against Islam, public interest, and the rights of others. In considering the needs of society for different occupations, the government is required to provide favorable circumstances for the equal employment of all persons. Article 29: It is a universal right to enjoy social security and have benefits with respect to retirement, unemployment, old age, workers’ compensation, lack of guardianship, and destitution. In case of accidents and emergencies, everyone has the right to health and medical treatments through insurance or other means. In accordance with the law, the government is obliged to use the proceeds from the national income and public contributions to provide the abovementioned services and financial support for each and every one of the citizens. Article 30: The government is responsible for providing the means for public education for everyone up to the end of high school. It must expand free higher education until the point when the nation reaches self-sufficiency. Article 31: Every Iranian individual and family has the right to have a dwelling that meets their needs. The government is required to provide the means for the execution of this principle by giving priority to those who are in greater need, especially peasants and workers. 12 Article 32: No one can be arrested except in accordance with the rule and the procedures that are set by the law. In the case of arrest, the charge and the reason for the arrest must be immediately conveyed and communicated to the defendant in writing. The preliminary file must be submitted to qualified judicial authorities within twenty-four hours and the preliminaries for the trial must be set as quickly as possible. Anyone who deviates from this principle will be penalized in accordance with law. Article 33: No one can be exiled from his place of residence or prevented from staying in his preferred location, or compelled to reside in a given location, except in instances that are determined by law. Article 34: Seeking justice is the indisputable right of every individual. Anyone may have access to the qualified courts for this purpose. All members of the nation have the right of access to such courts. No one can be prevented from referring to courts to which they have a legal right of recourse. Article 35: In all courts of law, the opposing parties to a dispute have the right to choose an attorney for themselves. If they cannot afford to hire an attorney, they should be provided with the means to do so. Article 36: The ratification and execution of a sentence may only be carried out through a qualified court and must be in accordance with law. Article 37: Innocence is presumed. The law does not consider anyone guilty unless the person’s guilt is proven at a qualified court. Article 38: Torture, of any kind, in order to obtain confession or information is for- bidden. It is not permissible to force someone to testify, confess, or swear an oath. Such a testimony, confession, or oath is worthless. Anyone who deviates from this article shall be sentenced in accordance with law. Article 39: All forms of violation against the honor and dignity of any person who is legally arrested, detained, imprisoned, or sent into exile is prohibited and is subject to prosecution. Article 40: No one can claim the exercise of his right as a pretext to harm others or to infringe on the public interest. Article 41: Citizenship of Iran is the indisputable right of every Iranian, and the government cannot take this right away unless the person requests it or if he becomes the citizen of another nation.4 Article 42: Foreign nationals can become Iranian citizens within the limits set by the law. Their nationality may be revoked if another nation offers them citizenship or that person demands such a revocation.

4 Persian is a gender-neutral language. This translation has been using the third-person pronoun “he” whereas in Persian the pronoun can be in reference to both sexes.