A/HRC/43/12 15. In response to the questions raised during the interactive dialogue, the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that, with regard to women’s rights, article 101 of the Sixth National Development Plan spotlighted gender justice in order to support the fundamental rights of women in many areas, such as the right to education, employment, social security and health care. As for combating violence against women and girls, the Act on Protection, Dignity and Security of Women against Violence aimed at criminalizing new forms of assault, harassment and violations of the rights of women and adopting preventive and support measures to stop violence against women. Moreover, a new law had been enacted to stiffen punishment for acid attackers and support the victims of such attacks. In addition, premature marriage had been criminalized in accordance with article 50 of the Family Protection Act. Finally, a bill had been adopted by Parliament to allow children born of Iranian women and foreign men to apply for Iranian citizenship. 16. In the area of education, the literacy rate had increased from 87.1 per cent in 2015 to 88.8 per cent in 2018. Moreover, women’s presence in higher education was on the rise: they accounted for 56 per cent of total students at Iranian universities and 24 per cent of the academic staff. Women participated actively in political processes. Their presence in managerial roles had grown from 14.9 per cent in 2017 to 18.3 per cent in 2018. The number of female candidates for parliamentary elections had increased 21-fold, resulting in a 4.5-fold increase in the number of women members of parliament. In addition, the number of women entering city and village councils had increased threefold, while 4,029 women had entered the previous round of council elections. 17. Measures to protect children’s rights included the establishment of special inspection branches and criminal court branches to deal with child abuse cases in the judiciary; the establishment of a text-messaging platform to combat child abuse in 2017, and the implementation of a nationwide scheme by the Ministry of Education to prevent violence against children. In addition, bills already drafted and going through the adoption process dealt with moral compensation for child victims of sex crimes and the prohibition of early marriage. 18. Steps taken with regard to persons with disabilities included the adoption of a comprehensive support law, a national strategic document on accommodation, adoption of a law obliging government departments to allocate 3 per cent of their employment quota to such persons, and the provision of free education. 19. There had been a veritable judicial renaissance in the Islamic Republic of Iran. For example, alternative forms of punishment were being introduced in some cases. Compulsory detention warrants were not enforceable. It was mandatory for the accused to choose a lawyer. All court verdicts were considered appealable. The Government was obliged to compensate persons charged for any reason during a preliminary investigation who were subsequently acquitted. A different punishment system applied to those under 18, who were no longer subject to the death penalty. Instead, juvenile offenders could be detained in correctional centres for up to five years. Under the amnesty mechanism, between 2015 and 2018, 1,755 convicts sentenced to capital punishment had been pardoned. In other categories of punishment, 810 women, 239 foreign nationals and 137 convicts under 18 had been granted an amnesty. To mark the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Iranian Revolution, 85,000 convicts had received amnesties in January 2019. 20. As part of efforts to safeguard the rights of religious minorities, four members of such minorities had been elected to the committee tasked with drafting the new Constitution. Five seats in Parliament had been set aside for religious minorities, who were free to publish books, Bibles and so forth. In addition, minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran were free to choose their schools, hospitals, etc. 21. The Charter of Citizenship Rights, decreed by the President in 2016, functioned as an administrative mechanism providing maximum implementation of the principles, values, norms and laws stipulated in the Constitution. The Constitution recognized the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration. According to the Charter, citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran were eligible to establish, join and participate in parties, societies, and social, cultural, scientific, political and trade associations, provided they respected the law. In addition, article 45 of the Charter emphasized the right of active 4