A/HRC/22/56 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Women are allowed to serve as legal counsellors, for example, but are prohibited from issuing and signing final verdicts. 57 No woman has ever been appointed to the Council of Guardians and the Expediency Council. Only nine of the 490 women that reportedly presented their candidatures for the parliamentary elections held in March 2012 were elected, receiving only 3.1 per cent of the 290 seats in the Majlis (although a slight increase from the eight female representatives in the previous Parliament). Prior to the elections, Iranian women’s groups called on the Speaker of the Majlis to improve female representation, citing the “increasing number of professional women, the importance of incorporating the female outlook on issues in decision-making bodies, addressing women’s and family issues, and eliminating legal vacuums” as reasons for their request.58 G. Ethnic minorities 1. Ahwazi Arabs 50. The Special Rapporteur continues to be concerned at reports from members of the Arab community regarding cases of arrest, detention and prosecutions for protected activities that promote social, economic, cultural, linguistic and environmental rights. A majority of interviewees reported that they had been arrested without a warrant and had been ill-treated during detention. They maintained that they had been detained without charge for periods ranging from several days to weeks. Some reported having been psychologically and physically tortured during their interrogation, including by flogging or beatings, and being made to witness executions, threats against family members, and the actual detention of family members for the purpose of implicating others, or to compel others to report to the authorities. 51. One interviewee reported that a cousin, nephew and brother had been arrested in June 2012 for the purpose of coercing their children, currently living abroad, to return to the country. The interviewee maintained that officers from the Ministry of Intelligence had arrested, detained and interrogated the family members about possible foreign contacts on a daily basis for more than two weeks, without any charge. They were reportedly subjected to psychological and physical torture, including by flogging and beating to the point of unconsciousness. The individuals reportedly remain in prison. 52. An informed source reported that Sattar Sayyahi, a poet, died in suspicious circumstances in November 2012 following his release and subsequent threats made by the Ministry of Intelligence. Mr. Sayyahi’s uncle and neighbour were also reportedly arrested, interrogated and tortured by the authorities after they took Mr. Sayyahi to the hospital. The interviewee maintained that Mr. Sayyahi’s uncle and neighbour were questioned about their conversations with him prior to his death. According to other reports, the authorities attacked and arrested an estimated 130 to 140 funeral attendants, including Mr. Sayyahi’s 17-year old cousin, Ali, whose hand was reportedly broken as a result of torture while in detention. 2. Baloch 53. Sistan-Balochistan is arguably the most underdeveloped region in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the country’s highest poverty, infant and child mortality rates and the lowest for life expectancy and literacy. The Balochi are reportedly subjected to systematic social, racial, religious and economic discrimination, and are also severely underrepresented 57 58 16 http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/91044; http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/92925; http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/99628. “Iranian women call for greater representation in Parliament, Payvand Iran News, 16 January 2012. Available from www.payvand.com/news/12/jan/1167.html.