A/HRC/28/12 purposes. To date, 53 associations had obtained permits. A total of 17,000 permits had been issued under administrative bylaws to NGOs working in a variety of areas. 58. President Rouhani had appointed a special assistant for ethnic and religious minority affairs. In addition, 335 members of ethnic communities had been appointed as highranking State, provincial and local officials and as ministers, vice-ministers, deputy ministers, governors general and local governors. 59. The Leader was chosen by the Council of Experts, while the members of the Council, the President, and members of Parliament and of city and village councils were chosen by direct popular vote. The average rate of participation in elections was 60 per cent. Votes had been cast by 72.8 per cent of eligible voters in the June 2013 presidential elections. All elections were conducted in accordance with article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 60. Considerable progress in promotion of the press had been achieved since the Government of Hassan Rouhani had assumed office. Article 4 of the Press Law stipulated that no governmental or non-governmental authority had the right to exert pressure on the press to publish material or articles or to otherwise exercise censorship and control over the press. The Law guaranteed freedom of expression provided that the rights of the general public were protected against insults, accusations and other infringements. 61. The Constitution provided for the participation of a jury in the proceedings of the press and media courts. Article 10 of the Press Law entrusted supervision of the press, news agencies and websites to a seven-member body whose composition was designed to prevent the Government from exerting pressure on the press. About 6,100 publications were currently registered and there were 400 news agencies and websites. About 30 per cent of the publications were distributed at border regions, and some of them were printed in local languages. 62. The 2013 Islamic Criminal Code incorporated many innovative ideas aimed at guaranteeing the rights of all. Female officers had been trained in investigation and interrogation. NGOs could be involved in hearings and attorneys were present at all stages of the investigations and hearings. Judges were required to take full account of the reasoning of female defence counsel. A Family Protection Law had been enacted. 63. No one in the Islamic Republic of Iran was arrested and detained on account of their views and beliefs. Where persons were arrested, they were given a fair hearing in the presence of defence counsel and the charges against them were quashed in many cases. Statistics showed that rates of conviction were quite low, compared with many other countries, and that the accused enjoyed better treatment. 64. Referring to religious minorities, the delegation stated that Iranians of all religious and social minorities enjoyed the right to profess and practise their culture and religion and to speak their language. Although religious minorities accounted for less than 0.2 per cent of the population, they were represented by five members of Parliament, who held guaranteed seats for minorities. Subsidies were allocated from the annual budget to religious minority associations to promote their beliefs and traditions. 65. In accordance with article 13 of the Constitution, members of all minorities were granted freedom to practise their creed and traditions, to receive education in their language, to publish books and newspapers and to exercise other civil liberties. 66. The Constitution provided for equal opportunities for men and women in employment and administration of the State’s governance. The Law on the Rights and Responsibilities of Women and the Law on the Protection of the Family both provided for the promotion and protection of women’s rights. Article 230 of the Fifth Economic 7