A/HRC/31/26 threats to children’s health. Moreover, the text would outlaw voluntary sterilization, which is reportedly one of the most common methods of modern contraception in the Islamic Republic of Iran.39 The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences has explicitly characterized restrictions on contraception as a form of violence. G. Treatment of individuals belonging to religious and ethnic minorities 43. During the interactive dialogue at the second universal periodic review cycle, representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran cited President Rouhani’s efforts to promote the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. They referred to the President’s appointment of a special assistant for ethnic and religious minority affairs; the appointment of 335 members of ethnic communities to high-ranking State positions; parliamentary seats reserved for members of religious minorities; and the right of members of all religious and ethnic minorities to profess and practise their culture and religion. Despite these welcome announcements, the Secretary-General regrets the Government’s decision to accept, fully or partially, only 12 out of 28 recommendations resulting from the review concerning the protection of religious and ethnic minorities (A/HRC/28/12). The United Nations human rights mechanisms continued to express concern about the situation of ethnic and religious minorities, highlighting the absence of improvement in that regard. Between January and November 2015, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic Iran and thematic mandate holders transmitted four communications to the Government concerning freedom of religion or belief. 44. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran recognizes Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians as protected religious minorities, free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies and to provide religious education in accordance with the tenets of their faith (A/70/411). The Constitution does not extend such recognition to other religious groups, such as Baha’is, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination and judicial harassment and persecution. On 15 November 2015, 20 individuals belonging to the Baha’i community were arrested for faith-related activities in Tehran, Isfahan and Mashhad. 40 At the time the present report was drafted, 10 of the detainees had been released and 2 had been charged with “propaganda against the regime”. At the end of 2015, 80 Baha’is, including the 7 Baha’i community leaders known as the Yaran, remained in prison solely on account of their religious beliefs. The 7 leaders were arrested in May 2008 and are serving a 10-year prison sentence on charges of espionage, “propaganda against the regime”, “collusion and collaboration for the purpose of endangering national security” and “spreading corruption on Earth”. They remain deprived of a number of rights to which all other prisoners are entitled, including furloughs and conditional release. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and other international human rights mechanisms declared their detention arbitrary and urged the Government to release them. 45. Members of the Baha’i community are generally denied access to public and private universities. Those who managed to enrol without their religious affiliation being known were expelled when their faith was revealed. In their comments on the present report, the authorities claimed that no Baha’i had been prosecuted for his/her beliefs and that Baha’is were pursuing higher education at the masters and doctorate levels in Iranian universities. 39 40 See www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/you-shall-procreate-attacks-on-women-s-sexual-andreproductive-rights-in-iran. See http://news.bahai.org/story/1084. 13