A/RES/58/195 (c) The visit of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to the Islamic Republic of Iran from 4 to 10 November 2003 and the scheduled visit of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances of the Commission in February 2004; (d) The recommendation by the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to judges that they choose alternative punishment in cases where the sentence of stoning would otherwise be imposed; (e) society; (f) The efforts of the elected Government to foster the growth of civil The opening of human rights dialogues with a number of countries; (g) The efforts made by Parliament, in particular the Article 90 Commission, and by the Islamic Human Rights Commission to improve the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; 2. Expresses its serious concern at: (a) The continuing violations of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; (b) The continuing deterioration of the situation with regard to freedom of opinion and expression, especially the increased persecution for the peaceful expression of political views, including arrest and detention without charge or trial; crackdowns by judiciary and security forces against journalists, parliamentarians, students, clerics and academics; and the harsh reactions to student demonstrations, including imprisonment, mistreatment and use of university disciplinary committees against those who participate; (c) The continuing executions in the absence of respect for internationally recognized safeguards, and in particular deplores public executions; (d) The use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, in particular the practice of amputation and flogging; (e) The continuing restrictions on free assembly and the forcible dissolution of political parties; (f) The failure to comply fully with international standards in the administration of justice, the absence of due process of law, the use of national security laws to deny the rights of the individual and the lack of respect for internationally recognized legal safeguards, inter alia, with respect to persons belonging to religious minorities; (g) The systemic discrimination against women and girls in law and in practice and the refusal of the Guardian Council to take steps to address this systematic discrimination, noting in this context its refusal, in August 2003, to consider the proposal of the elected Parliament to accede to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; 7 (h) The continuing discrimination against persons belonging to minorities, including the Baha’is, Christians, Jews and Sunnis, including cases of arbitrary _______________ 7 2 Resolution 34/180, annex.