President’s Text Message to Iranian Citizens: Know Your Civil Rights

“Honourable people of Iran; let’s get more familiar with our rights and strongly protect them,” President Hassan Rouhani said in a text message to Iranian people, providing a link to download the Farsi version of the Charter on Citizens’ Rights.

According to a report by IFP, Rouhani earlier unveiled and signed the Charter in a ceremony attended by high-ranking officials and rights activists in Tehran.

“I am happy that I could materialize one of my campaign promises,” President Rouhani said during the Monday ceremony.

He further stressed that citizens have the right to life and all people are equal before the law, Tasnim reported.

“Article 128 of Iran’s Constitution demands that the President should protect fundamental freedoms and rights of the people; the Charter bases its premises on Article 134 where the cabinet would prepare their public policy; the Charter is the essence of the will enshrined in the Article 134 and the cabinet’s achievement in my administration,” said the president.

However, he added, there is no claim as to the perfection of the Charter, and its pitfalls and loopholes should be detected during the implementation.

“The cabinet, above all, is responsible for the implementation of the Charter and other branches should also contribute; the Charter provides a bulwark for national unity and solidarity, it is an essential part of the country’s development; the Charter provides an example by which we could show the West that we have the capacity to provide the public with their own rights; it is the voice of the nation embodied in this form,” Rouhani added, as reported by Mehr.

The charter has over 20 preambles, including right to life, health and quality of life, right to human dignity and equality, right to freedom and personal security, right to self-determination, right to good administration and governance, freedom of thought and expression, right of access to information, right of access to cyberspace, right to privacy, and right of association, assembly and demonstration.

It has also 120 articles which fully explain each preamble.

Moreover, the Iranian president will appoint a Special Assistant for supervising, coordinating and pursuing appropriate implementation of the government’s obligations under this Charter. The Special Assistant will be responsible for, amongst others, proposing plans and guidelines for the full implementation of the Charter on Citizens’ Rights.

You can read the full text of the Charter in English here.