About the HRI Work by Regions  ICC   Media  Publications

Iran

On 11-13 November 2008, the IBAHRI, in conjunction with the Centre for Human Rights Studies at Mofid University in Qom, Iran, held a conference and workshop on legal clinics and legal aid.  Over 120 participants, including professors, lawyers and students from throughout Iran, attended the conference on the first day, which aimed to share experiences and challenges in delivering legal aid and legal clinics.  International experts, including Professor Mizanur Rahman from Bangladesh, Professor Richard Grimes from the United Kingdom, and Ms Julie Bishop from Australia, shared their own experiences in establishing legal aid and legal clinical programmes, and gave ideas for the expansion and development of such programmes in Iran.  On days two and three, over fifty participants attended the two-day workshop, which aimed to consider ways of overcoming challenges in the delivery of legal aid and legal clinics, including funding, fostering a volunteer culture and linking together universities and bar associations. Intensive breakout group sessions resulted in many ideas for the future being developed. 

From 7 – 13 July 2007, IBA President Fernando Pombo led a Human Rights Institute (HRI) delegation visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.  Hosted by the Iran Bar Association in Tehran and Mofid University in Qom, the delegation met with a wide range of legal stakeholders in Iran, including the Tehran City Prosecutor, the Qom Bar Association and the Isfehan Bar Association. The HRI delegation also discussed current human rights efforts in Iran with the Centre for Human Rights at Mofid University, the UNESCO Chair for Human Rights, Peace and Democracy at Shahid Beheshti University, Azad University and Tehran University.  

During the visit, the delegation learned about the latest challenges facing the legal profession and expressed its willingness to enhance cooperation and collaboration with organisations throughout Iran. This visit was a follow-up to an earlier visit of the IBA to Iran in 2003, and provided an opportunity for the IBA to introduce its new President, and to meet the new President of the Iran Bar Association. On 11 October, the IBAHRI released Balancing Independence and Access to Justice: a report on the justice system in Iran, which expressed concern about the independence of the legal profession and access to justice. The IBAHRI is planning further workshops in Iran for later this year.

Iran: IBA Concern over Access to Justice and Independence of the Legal Profession
(October 2007)
Click here for the full report in English
Click here for the full report in Farsi