IranProfileofAsylumClaimsandCountryConditionsreport.doc

Iran Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions report Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520 August 1997 Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Overview and Recent Developments A. Claims Based on Political Opinion 1. Monarchist Groups 2. Pro-Republic Democratic Groups 3. Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) in Iran 4. Former Shah Officials Rastakjiz Party Members 5. Members of the Shah’s Security Organization (SAVAK) B. Claims Based on Religion 1. Evangelical Christians 2. Armenian Christians 3. Jews 4. Baha’is C. Claims Based on Social Group Membership 1. Women in Iran 2. Homosexuals D. Claims Based on Ethnic/Tribal Affiliation 1. Iranian Kurds 2. Iranian Baluchis 3. Iranian Qashqa’I and Bakhtiari Appendix – Chronology Map I. Introduction [1] Country conditions profiles are produced by the Department of States’ Office of Asylum Affairs for use by the Executive Office of Immigration Review and the Immigration and Naturalization Service in assessing asylum claims [FTN 1]. They are written by State Department officers with expertise in the relevant area and are circulated for comment within the Department, including to overseas missions, and to other agencies if appropriate. Adjudicators may also wish to review the applicable chapter of the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and other publicly available material on conditions in this country. II. Overview and Recent Developments [2] Shiá Muslims clergy have dominated the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran since Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s Islamic revolution which toppled the Shah in 1979. Ayatollah Ali Khameneí became the leader of the Islamic revolution after Ayatollah Khomeini’s death in 1989, and he functions as the Chief of State and Supreme Leader. [3