A/HRC/22/56 countries. Every year our medico-legal report service prepares between 300 and 600 medicolegal reports (MLRs) for use in UK asylum proceedings. 37. Freedom from Torture seeks to protect and promote the rights of torture survivors by drawing on the evidence of torture that has been recorded over almost three decades. In particular, we aim to contribute to international efforts to prevent torture and hold perpetrator states to account through our Country Reporting Programme, based on research into torture patterns for particular countries, using evidence contained in our MLRs. 38. Freedom from Torture’s MLRs are detailed forensic reports documenting physical and psychological consequences of torture. They are prepared by specialist clinicians according to standards set out in the UN Istanbul Protocol’. Each is subject to a detailed clinical and legal review process. While the primary purpose of our MLRs is to assist decision-makers in individual asylum claims – and for these purposes our clinicians act strictly as independent experts – collectively they also represent an invaluable source of evidence of torture that can be used to hold perpetrator states to account. Freedom from Torture’s history of working with Iranian torture survivors 39. Freedom from Torture has consistently received more referrals for Iranians than for any other nationality. Since our foundation, over 5000 Iranians have been referred to us for clinical services – this represents 10% of the more than 50,000 total referrals we have received. Nearly 30% of Freedom from Torture’s current treatment clients are of Iranian origin and at least 16% of all MLRs we have produced over the past three years have been for Iranian clients. 40. Our Iranian clients, both past and present, together embody and provide evidence of the history of torture perpetrated by the Iranian state from the 1980s to the present day. The MLRs we have produced for Iranians provide substantial and robust evidence of torture in Iran and are the source of data for this snapshot study of torture perpetrated by the Iranian government in the lead up to and following the Presidential election in June 2009. We hope the evidence from this study will be of assistance to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran in fulfilling his important mandate. This is against the backdrop of presidential elections due in Iran in 2013, during which further human rights abuses are feared by the international community. Case sample and methodology 41. The current study is focused on patterns of torture perpetrated in the context of the 2009 Presidential election in Iran and the unrest and repression of dissent which followed. It is based on a systematic review and evaluation of 50 cases, selected according to criteria of detention and torture within the relevant date range (January 2009 onwards) and consent to use anonymised cases for research. 42. Data was collected and recorded systematically from 50 MLRs and included details of the case profile, history of detention, specific torture disclosures and the forensic documentation of the physical and psychological consequences of torture, based on a comprehensive clinical examination and assessment process in accordance with Istanbul Protocol standards. The data collected was both quantitative and qualitative in type and was anonymised and aggregated before being analysed; the findings are presented in summary below. 35