Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran A/RES/67/182 (k) Increased persecution and human rights violations against persons belonging to unrecognized religious minorities, particularly members of the Baha’i faith and their defenders, including escalating attacks, an increase in the number of arrests and detentions, the restriction of access to higher education on the basis of religion, the sentencing of 12 Baha’is associated with Baha’i educational institutions to lengthy prison terms, the continued denial of access to employment in the public sector, additional restrictions on participation in the private sector and the de facto criminalization of membership in the Baha’i faith; (l) The continued and sustained house arrest of leading opposition figures from the 2009 presidential elections, as well as restrictions on their supporters and family members, including through harassment and intimidation; (m) Ongoing severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, including arbitrary arrest, indefinite detention and lengthy jail sentences, for those exercising this right, and restrictions on the building of, as well as attacks against, places of worship and burial; (n) Persistent failure to uphold due process of law, and violations of the rights of detainees, including the widespread and systematic use of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, the lack of access of detainees to legal representation of their choice, the refusal to consider granting bail to detainees, the poor conditions of prisons, including the serious overcrowding and poor level of sanitation, and the denial of access to medical treatment, as well as persistent reports of detainees dying in custody, being subjected to torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, harsh interrogation techniques and the use of pressure exerted upon their relatives and dependants, including through arrest, to obtain false confessions that are then used at trials; (o) Continuing arbitrary or unlawful interference by State authorities with the privacy of individuals, in particular in relation to private homes, and with their correspondence, including telephone and e-mail communications, in violation of international law; Expresses particular concern at the failure of the Government of the 3. Islamic Republic of Iran to conduct comprehensive investigations or to launch an accountability process in response to cases of serious human rights violations involving the Iranian judiciary and security agencies and to the widespread violations at Kahrizak prison and elsewhere during the period following the presidential elections of 2009, and reiterates its call upon the Government to launch a process of credible, independent and impartial investigations into reports of human rights violations and to end impunity for such violations; Expresses concern over the restrictions placed on candidates in the 2012 4. parliamentary elections, in particular the restrictions on the eligibility and activities of candidates; Notes the steps taken to release and pardon a number of political 5. prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and continues to call upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately and unconditionally release all those who have been arbitrarily arrested and detained for simply exercising their right to peaceful assembly and participating in peaceful protests about political, economic, environmental or other issues, including the conduct and results of the 2009 presidential elections; 3/6