Document

The difficult task of monitoring the implementation of the Constitution

630

In the name of God, the Sublime

Number: 807662

Date: 1380/10/10 (31/12/2001)

Honorable brother, Mr. Seyyed Mohammad Khatami

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran,

Greetings,

According to the report presented at the official meeting of the commission of Articles 88 and 90 of the Constitution held in the parliament on 80/10/9 (30/12/2001), in which I was present, it was noted that a number of government employees are being deprived of their civil rights on the basis of their belief and connection to the Baha’i sect.

I wish to point out that the Prime minister has issued a directive, with the president’s consent, to all ministries, agencies, government organizations, institutions of the Islamic Republic and nationwide municipalities on 1367/11/12 (1/2/1989) directing that:

“None of the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran are authorized to deprive citizens of their social and legal rights unless their charges of espionage or exclusion from social and civil rights are proven by competent authorities and relevant penalties have been issued.”

By providing background information on the subject and with due regard to the Article 23 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, your considered interpretation as the President and the authorized official responsible for the implementation of the Constitution, in so far as it applies to the requirement of preservation of the civil rights of the membership of the Bahá’i sect, is conclusive.

Seyyed Mohamad Ali Abtahi