A/HRC/34/40 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/204, adopted on 19 December 2016, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to it on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran at its seventy-second session and an interim report to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-fourth session. The present interim report, covering the period from July to December 2016, provides information on progress made in the implementation of resolution 71/204, focusing on the concerns identified therein. 2. The Secretary-General draws upon observations made by the United Nations human rights treaty monitoring bodies, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council and various United Nations entities. He also refers to information from official State media and non-governmental organizations. 3. Since the most recent report of the Secretary-General submitted to the General Assembly (A/71/374), the application of the death penalty, including in relation to juvenile offenders, has continued at a very high rate. A large number of human rights defenders, in particular women’s rights activists and journalists, have continued to be arrested, detained and prosecuted for the peaceful exercise of their profession or of their legitimate rights to freedoms of expression and association. Members of minority groups have continued to face persistent discrimination and persecution. Women’s rights remain a priority concern, particularly underage marriage, the underrepresentation of women in the labour force and in decision-making positions, and the harassment of women’s rights activists. 4. In December 2016, President Hassan Rouhani signed and declared the Citizen Rights Charter and indicated that upholding citizens’ rights was a policy of his Government.1 In his statement, he recognized the obligations of the Government to provide the conditions for the right to life, human dignity and justice for all Iranians, including those living outside the country, regardless of ethnicity, religious belief, age or gender. The Secretary-General welcomes the Citizen Rights Charter and looks forward to the adoption of measures for the full realization of the rights it upholds. 5. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to engage constructively with the United Nations treaty bodies and will present its first periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in March 2017. No improvement was however noticed in relation to cooperation with the special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, who has yet to be allowed to visit the country. II. Overview of the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran A. Death penalty Use of the death penalty 6. While noting a decrease in the number of executions carried out in 2016 compared to 2015, the Secretary-General is alarmed at the number of individuals who were executed and at the death sentences handed down. 7. At least 530 persons, including 9 women, are known to have been executed in 2016. According to non-governmental sources, that figure might be much higher. As in previous years, the majority of the executions were related to drug offences. 2 According to an official 1 2 2 See www.tehrantimes.com/news/409277/Rouhani-declares-Citizen-Rights-Charter. See Asre Iran State-run website, 25 December 2016.