A/HRC/31/26 46. The desecration of Baha’i cemeteries, the campaign of incitement to hatred by means of spreading false statements in the State media, including State-sponsored television, and the prohibition of businesses belonging to Baha’is continued in 2015. In late November, at least 28 shops owned by Baha’is were closed down in Mazandaran and Kerman, simply for observing Baha’i holy days.41 The authorities argued that the business owners had failed to acquire prior permission from the guild before the mass closure, as required by law. On 24 October, Azita Rafizadeh began serving a four-year prison sentence handed down by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on a charge of “membership in the illegal and misguided Baha’i group with the aim of acting against national security through illegal activities at the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education”.42 Ms. Rafizadeh was among those arrested during the 2010 crackdown on the Institute. 47. The Secretary-General notes the concern expressed by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the ongoing discrimination against non-Shia Muslims and other recognized religious minorities. For instance, Sunnis have not been granted permission for the construction of a mosque in Tehran since 1979 and the construction of Christian church buildings, including for Orthodox Armenians and Assyrians, has been restricted since 1979 (A/HRC/28/70). 48. Authorities often apply vague, codified criminal charges that allow for broad interpretation and discriminatory treatment of minorities. For example, as at October 2015, at least 33 Sunni men, most of them members of the Kurdish minority, were on death row on charges of “gathering and colluding against national security”, “spreading propaganda against the system”, “membership of Salafist groups”, “corruption on Earth” and “enmity against God”.43 H. Environmental concerns 49. The Secretary-General is concerned about harmful environmental conditions, particularly severe dust storms and drought affecting various parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Environmental conditions are closely linked to the enjoyment of many fundamental human rights, such as the rights to life, health, water and sanitation, and development, and the Special Rapporteur urges the Government to adopt effective measures to mitigate the harmful impacts of environmental degradation and extreme weather events on the population. 50. Reports have indicated that several devastating dust storms swept through the southwest of the Islamic Republic of Iran in February 2015. On occasion, the dust concentration was so high that pollution testing devices became dysfunctional.44 The storms also reduced visibility to as low as 50 metres, contributing to fatal car crashes. On 10 February, a dust storm in Ahwaz sparked protests from local residents. Official reports indicated that over 250 people reported to Ahwaz hospitals with respiratory problems in February. The situation worsened in the following months, when some 22 provinces were affected by dust storms.45 51. While some officials have stated that the dust problem came from neighbouring countries, reports indicate that the storms in the central regions seem to have originated domestically and may be related to oil exploration, excavation and exploitation. The State41 42 43 44 45 14 Ibid. See www.iranhumanrights.org/2015/10/azita-rafiezadeh/. See www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/iran/report-iran/. Joint submission of Justice for Iran and Insight Iran, 30 June 2015. Ibid.