A/RES/54/177 Page 3 10. Also expresses its concern that, since 1996, no invitation has been extended by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Special Representative to visit the country, and calls upon the Government to resume its full cooperation with the Special Representative and to extend an invitation to him to visit the country; 11. Expresses its serious concern at the continuing violations of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as reported by the Special Representative, in particular executions in the apparent absence of respect for internationally recognized safeguards, the use of national security laws as a basis for derogating from the rights of the individual, cases of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as well as the failure to meet international standards in the administration of justice and the absence of due process of law, and calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to take all necessary steps to end the use of torture and the practice of amputation, stoning and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment; 12. Expresses its concern at the restrictions on freedom of expression, opinion, thought and the press and at the interference with the work of writers and journalists and the closure of publications, as well as at the circumstances surrounding the arrests of individuals based on involvement in student demonstrations and at reports that some of them may be subject to death sentences, or other harsh sentences, and calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to take further measures to secure freedom of expression, opinion, thought and the press; 13. Also expresses its concern at the discrimination against religious minorities, in particular the Baha’is, and remains gravely concerned at the unabated pattern of persecution against the Baha’is, including death sentences, arrests and the closure of the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education, and calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement fully the conclusions and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on religious intolerance relating to the Baha’is and other religious minorities until they are completely emancipated; 14. Calls upon the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to make further efforts to ensure for all the application of due process of law by the judiciary in all instances and, in this context to ensure a fair and transparent trial for the group of people detained early in 1999, which includes thirteen members of the Iranian Jewish community, and notes the stated commitments of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this regard; 15. Also calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue its efforts and to abide by its freely undertaken obligations under the International Covenants on Human Rights2 and other international instruments on human rights, and to ensure that all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, including persons belonging to religious minorities, enjoy the rights enshrined in those instruments; 16. Further calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that capital punishment will not be imposed for crimes other than the most serious, for apostasy or otherwise in disregard of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights2 and United Nations safeguards, and to provide the Special Representative with relevant statistics on this matter; 17. Decides to continue the examination of the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the situation of minority groups such as the Baha’is, at its fifty-fifth session under the item /...