A/HRC/22/56 confinement for two months, interrogated about their contact with the Special Rapporteur and tortured in order to about a confession thereon. 7. The Special Rapporteur is alarmed at the above-mentioned reports and joins the Human Rights Council in condemning all acts of intimidation or reprisal against individuals that cooperate with the human rights instruments. 3 He wishes to emphasize the right of individuals to cooperate with the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, and underscores the fact that such cooperation is integral to the ability of those mechanisms to fulfil their mandates. 8. The Special Rapporteur takes note of the general observations made by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the present report,4 appreciates its engagement in those observations, and continues to hope for direct engagement, as such observations should not preclude cooperation. In its comments, the Government primarily expresses its concern at (a) the Special Rapporteur’s working methodology; (b) the credibility of his sources of information; (c) his assertions about the Government’s cooperation with human rights mechanisms; and (d) his conclusions that allegations of violations of human rights reported to him demonstrated a need for government investigation and remedy. 9. The Special Rapporteur has outlined his methodology on several occasions, and asserts the highest standards of both rigour and consistency in its application at all times. He notes that evidence and testimonies submitted to him were assessed for compliance with the non-judicial evidentiary standards required of his mandate, that sources were cited appropriately and copiously, whenever possible, that only allegations that were cross-verified and consistently levelled by various sources were presented, and that his findings were in full compliance with the protocols stipulated by the United Nations system. The names of sources were omitted whenever requested, as required by the Special Rapporteur’s code of conduct. 10. Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur has referenced periodic reports recently submitted to the treaty bodies by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran throughout his report, but maintains that participation in or pledges made in those reports cannot in any way be a substitute for actions taken to concretely addressing and rectifying concerns raised by the human rights instruments. The Special Rapporteur also continues to underscore the fact that, despite the State’s standing invitation, several requests to visit the country remain outstanding, and that no visit has been granted to any special procedures since 2005. II. Situation of human rights A. Free and fair elections 11. The Special Rapporteur recalls general comment No. 25 of the Human Rights Committee, in which the Committee stated that article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognized and protected the right of every citizen to take part in the conduct of public affairs, the right to vote and to be elected and the right to have access to public service.5 This right should be enjoyed and ensured without unreasonable restrictions. Any conditions on this right must be “based on objective and reasonable criteria” without 3 4 5 4 http://persianbanoo.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/3-kurdish-political-prisoners-to-be-tried-on-charges-ofcontact-with-un-special-rapporteur-ahmed-shaeed/). See also http://hra-news.org/1389-01-27-05-2721/14413-1.html. Human Rights Council resolution 12/2, para. 2. See A/HRC/22/56/Add.1. CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.7, para 1.