Iran: Information on whether it is illegal in Iran for a medical professional to provide treatment to a person who was injured in an armed confrontation with the Iranian authorities where such treatment was provided without notifying the Iranian authorities, and if so, the penalties to which he/she would be subject
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IRN29131.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iran: Information on whether it is illegal in Iran for a medical professional to provide treatment to a person who was injured in an armed confrontation with the Iranian authorities where such treatment was provided without notifying the Iranian authorities, and if so, the penalties to which he/she would be subject, 1 April 1998, IRN29131.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac7686.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided to the Research Directorate in a 2 April 1998 telephone interview with a professor of political science at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, who specializes on Iran. The professor believes that it would be illegal in Iran for a medical professional to provide medical care clandestinely to a person who was involved in a politically-motivated armed confrontation with the Iranian police or armed forces, but the professor does not know what the range of punishments for such an offence would be. The professor believes that the attitude of the Iranian authorities to such a medical professional would depend on the political or military importance of the person who was injured and on whether the medical professional had a history of opposition to the Islamic Republic.
The professor's information was corroborated in a 2 April 1998 telephone interview with a senior researcher at the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies in London, an institute concerned with studying and disseminating information on Iranian politics and Iran's relations with the Arab world. The researcher stated that a person, including a medical professional, who provided clandestine assistance to a member of an armed opposition political organization in Iran would be subject to arrest. The researcher is personally familiar with the case of an Iranian nurse who was sought by the authorities after she provided medical assistance to a person who was injured in an armed confrontation in Tehran in 1984. After the incident, the nurse was sought by the authorities, and she was able to leave Iran and travel to the UK.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies (CAIS), London. 2 April 1998. Telephone interview with a senior researcher.
Professor of political science, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario. 2 April 1998. Telephone interview.
