A/HRC/37/68/Add.1 significant and outstanding. On the other hand, the statistics of executions of minorities are completely misleading, distorted and inaccurate; Because if the intention is that among the executed drug related offenders and the deliberate murders, there have been a number of individuals belonging to some ethnic groups or religious minorities, this separation is incorrect and with malicious purposes; where according to the principle 19 of the Constitution, the people of Iran of all tribes and ethnicities, have equal rights, and each punishment is determined according to the law and in proportion of the crime; and if it is intended to claim that individuals, only because of belonging to ethnic groups or a minority religious schools of thought have been sentenced to death, it is a false statement and allegation and also there is no documentation and evidence provided in this draft report. Reply to Paragraph 14 In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the death penalty is intended only for the most serious crimes. The most serious crimes, include mass trafficking in narcotics, which are treated with a special sensitivity in the courts at the presence of the prosecutor's representative, the accused and his lawyer. The cases are investigated, and will be vetted by convening the hearings and during fair trial proceedings. The formalization of hearings in such crimes requires the presence of a lawyer, and a meeting without a lawyer has no legal effect, and the decision made and the ruling issued by the Supreme Court is void The legislator has stipulated in Article 32 of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Combating Narcotics, adopted in 1997: the death sentences issued in accordance with this law, after the approval of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or the Attorney General of the country, recognizes the definitive and necessary. In addition, it has improved the accuracy of these sentences, which, if the ruling is considered by any of these officials to be contrary to the legal and legal regulations, these authorities have the right to appeal and violate it, as a result of which the full respect of the rights of the accused is committed. The new Criminal Procedure Code also provides for the two stages of the investigation of drug offenses, and a revision of the cases leading to the death penalty in the Supreme Court is required. Regarding the legality of the death penalty in Iran and the multi-stage proceedings with due observance of the principles of justice, so far no international authority has ever made a claim on non-observance of legal standards in dealing with drug offenses or certain individuals who have been punished; Special Rapporteurs have been requested, many times, to provide the Islamic Republic of Iran with verified information, but unfortunately, there are no positive reaction has been received. Reply to paragraphs 15 to 17 While welcoming the attention of the Special Rapporteur to the legislative and executive developments regarding drug-related crimes, it should be noted that the amended law, by changing the weight of various types of drugs, includes a significant number of convicts, who are covered by the conditions set forth in the law. The new amendment is retrospective and as it is stated in the Draft, no death penalty has been executed for convicts under this law. In the case of foreign nationals, in order to implement the directive of the head of the judiciary and after arrest of foreign nationals, the Directorate General of International Affairs of the Judiciary informs the embassy of the country of the accused individual, through the relevant section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran for appointing of a lawyer and the required legal proceedings. If the lawyer is not introduced by the individual’s embassy, the relevant court is required to appoint a lawyer for the defendant. If the above provisions are not complied with in the case, the judgment given in the Supreme Court shall be void. It should be noted that there is no difference between subjects of different countries in the legal stipulations, in respect of the rights of foreign nationals; and in terms of the need to observe the principles of the procedure, including the right to a lawyer. Although, in the case of foreign nationals, in the form of a request for official representation of their country in Iran, in some cases extra assistance is provided. Therefore, it is necessary to correct this paragraph accordingly. Article 6 of the Covenant on the Issuance and Execution of Death Penalty for Heavy Crimes is generally permitted by law. Countries also pay attention to the general interpretation of the Human Rights Committee on the definition of heavy crimes or the statements of some international officials in this regard, and seek to find a solution to deal seriously with the tragic phenomenon of drug trafficking and its adverse effects. The will of several countries to 5