A/HRC/37/68/Add.1 without any ambiguity; and in addition to the issuance of a verdict in the hearing court, it is necessary to be upheld by the Supreme Court of the country. Obviously, at the time of execution, due attention is given during the formal proceedings. As mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, the use of the punishment of whipping or other Islamic Punishments, which, under the circumstances, and under the discretion of the judge, are also subject to replacement by cash fine. All these are stipulated in laws to deter similar offenses and to reduce the use of imprisonment as a result of which considerable social, moral, and economic consequences are followed; and this punishment is not compatible with the Western interpretation of the concept of a degrading punishment. Also, given that the new Islamic Penal Code provides for alternative sentences to be used instead of stoning, there has not been a case of such a sentence over the past few years. Meanwhile, the issue of rape has been criminalized in Iran's laws and it has been under consideration in a substantive and precise manner. Therefore, any allegation in this regard should be proven by the court. Reply to paragraph 67 While emphasizing that the allegations, raised in this paragraph, have been raised with grandiosity which do not conform to the reality of the society. It should be noted that requirements for codes of dress are defined and applied by relevant laws and observed in all countries around the world. The Dress Code in each country, depends on the cultural and social context of the community and on public order and good morals. The dress of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran is also in line with the Islamic law and values, which in turn is derived from the Constitution of the country. It should be noted that the dress Code requirements are not specific to women and it is applied to men; and only their “Hodoud” (punishments) are different. In addition, the Code of Cover in the Islamic Republic of Iran is very diverse, due to cultural and ethnic diversity, so that women members of Iranian ethnicities follow their own ethnical traditions in choosing their kind of dress. Even some of the Islamic “Fatwa”s are defined for them by Jurisprudents, on the basis of those ethnical traditions. Observing the Code of Cover has not created any restrictions on the presence of Iranian men and women in different social, economic and cultural scenes, but, vice versa, it has led to increase of respect for women and to their true personality. As a result of this type of cover and respect, the level of violence and sexual abuse at the workplace is ignorable in Iran in comparison with Western societies. According to the laws of the country, any violation of administrative provisions is punishable by disciplinary action and, if it is found to be criminal in nature, punishable by a competent judicial authority, in compliance with the principles of fair trial. Obviously, offenders in any community are dissatisfied with enforcement of law and the related punishments or penalties, but public order and public security are protected by the enforcement of laws and regulations that have been approved by the competent authorities and adopted through a democratic process. Reply to paragraph 68 Refer to Paragraph 64. Reply to paragraph 69 It has always been a conituous effort by Iran that the rights of all individuals of the religious faiths to be guaranteed in accordance with the law. As it has been presented in detail, in the Iranian government's reports and official documents, in addition to their political presence at the high level decision-making positions and observance of their legal protections, there are numerous programs for religious minorities, including appropriation of significant budgets to promote the general status of the community and to help them to carry out their religious rituals and education and rebuild religious sites. Also, people belonging to sects enjoy civil rights under the law. However, in the laws of Iran and also in the administrative procedure, anyone committing acts, determined by the legislator to entail punishment, regardless of any belief or idea, is punishable after a fair trial. The punishment is stipulated by law to be proportionate with the committed offence. The suitable status of ethnic groups and their political, economic, social and cultural situation, and the guarantee of respect for citizenship rights for all Iranian citizens, are repeatedly presented in the form of official reports of the Islamic Republic of Iran with relevant documentation that can be referred. Meanwhile, in Iran's laws, individuals are punishable for 28