A/HRC/25/61 result was negative, it would be up to the Ministry of intelligence to propose a course of action to the Committee.77 91. At least 41 professors have been reportedly expelled from their universities. A special committee has been reportedly created to investigate complaints concerning the forced retirement of professors deemed to hold views departing from those of the Government.78 Reportedly, 18 of the professors have been invited to return to work, while the requests of 10 to 12 others are under review.79 According to Mohammad Sharif, a university professor and lawyer who was reportedly expelled from university for his human rights activities, to date retired professors have returned as visiting professors without nullifying their retirement, while those expelled have not received any compensation.80 B. Economic sanctions 92. The Special Rapporteur has repeatedly urged sanctions-imposing countries and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to take steps to ensure that sanctions do not undermine human rights, including by strengthening humanitarian safeguards that appear to be falling short of their intended purpose. Sanction relief measures reportedly embedded in the recent agreement on a joint plan of action reached between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the five plus one group, if properly administered, would likely have a positive impact on the enjoyment of economic and social rights in the country, which would be a welcome development. According to the agreement, the parties are to take tentative steps towards establishing a banking channel to facilitate humanitarian trade. The Special Rapporteur would welcome such an outcome, as it could alleviate some of the right-to-health challenges and other hardships identified in previous reports.81 IX. Conclusions and recommendations 93. The Special Rapporteur recalls his view that the Islamic Republic of Iran possesses the basic tools necessary to observe its international human rights obligations. They include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and various aspects of a number of national laws. He affirms that human rights could be better secured if the principles and regulations stipulated by these laws were consistently implemented. 94. The Special Rapporteur also stresses that, despite recent welcome amendments to the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure, and the proposal for a new charter of citizens’ rights, these documents do not appear to resolve fully the issues previously raised by United Nations human rights mechanisms and recommendations made during the universal periodic review of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2010. Certain national laws continue to undermine and/or contravene rights guaranteed by these legal instruments through extensive restrictions and discriminatory practices. 77 78 79 80 81 See http://etemaad.ir/PDF/92-09-11/02.pdf. See http://etemaad.ir/PDF/92-09-05/12.pdf. See http://etemaad.ir/PDF/92-08-27/13.pdf. See http://etemaad.ir/PDF/92-08-26/11.pdf and“Lawyer Dismissed from Faculty Position for Human Rights Work after 25 Years of Teaching”, International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 7 April 2011, available from.www.iranhumanrights.org/2011/04/sharif-dismissed/. See A/68/503. 21