Key developments since May 2004: From March 2004 to March 2005, 528
square kilometers of mine-contaminated land were cleared, with 252,383
antipersonnel mines, 37,522 antivehicle mines and 1,478,508 UXO destroyed. UNDP
is assisting in development of a national mine action strategy and action plan.
In August 2005, Iran’s mine action center announced a 10-year plan to
eliminate all landmines in Iran by 2015, with target dates for several
mine-affected provinces. During 2004, mine risk education was extended. In
September 2005, UNHCR agreed to transfer its mine risk education training of
returnees to Afghanistan and Iraq to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
Mine Ban Policy
The Islamic Republic of Iran has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In
August 2005, the Director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mine Action Center
(IRMAC), Hossein Vaziri, told Landmine Monitor that the government of Iran is
against the use of landmines, but war in and occupation of two countries
bordering Iran are not conducive to Iran joining the Mine Ban
Treaty.[1 ]In January 2004, Iran
stated that while it agreed with the humanitarian considerations of the Mine Ban
Treaty, security concerns prevented it from joining at that
time.[2 ]In July 2003, the government
stated, “Landmines continue to be the sole effective means to ensure the
minimum security requirement of borders in countries with long land
borders.”[3 ]Government
representatives have told Landmine Monitor that they believe if landmines are
removed from the country’s borders, more Iranian soldiers will be killed
while protecting the borders and drug trafficking will increase dramatically.
They also stated that the cost of Iran joining the Mine Ban Treaty would be
“enormous.”[4 ]
Iran did not participate in the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban
Treaty in Nairobi in November-December 2004. It also did not attend the
treaty’s intersessional meetings in Geneva in June 2005. On 3 December
2004, Iran abstained from voting on UN General Assembly Resolution 59/84,
calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. Iran has abstained from
voting on every annual pro-mine ban UNGA resolution since 1997.
The Iranian recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi, has
become actively involved in the landmine
issue.[5 ]She attended the First
Review Conference in Nairobi where she launched the Mine Clearing Collaboration
Campaign (MCCC). She also briefed government, nongovernmental and international
organization delegates, as well as the media, about the landmine problem in
Iran.[6 ]Ebadi began organizing the
MCCC in 2003 to aid demining and victim assistance, and it is now certified and
operating as an NGO attempting to raise the profile of landmines and to promote
education about landmines in mine-affected regions of
Iran.[7]
On 3 November 2004, Iran attended the inaugural meeting in New York of the
Forum of Mine-Affected Countries (FOMAC), a group of high-level representatives
from mine-affected countries. FOMAC was formed to encourage cooperation
between mine-affected
countries.[8]
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling and Use
The Director of IRMAC told Landmine Monitor in August 2005 that Iran neither
uses nor produces landmines.[9 ]He
did not clarify when Iran stopped using and producing mines, or if there is a
formal policy or law prohibiting use and production. In September 2002, the
Ministry of Defense declared in a letter to Landmine Monitor, “The Islamic
Republic of Iran, since the termination of its war [1988], has not produced
anti-personnel mines.”[10 ]
Iran exported a significant number of antipersonnel mines in the past. An
export moratorium was instituted in 1997, but it is not known if it is still
formally in effect. Iran is thought to have a large stockpile of antipersonnel
mines, but no official information is available on its size and composition.
There is evidence that Iran produced and exported antipersonnel mines at
least as recently as 2000, and perhaps later. Landmine Monitor received
information that mine clearance organizations in Afghanistan were removing and
destroying many hundreds of Iranian YM-I and YM-I-B antipersonnel mines, date
stamped 1999 and 2000, from abandoned Northern Alliance front
lines.[11 ]
Iran has manufactured several types of antipersonnel mines, including the
YM-I, Mk. 4 and a Claymore-type mine.
Iran is believed to maintain minefields along its borders with Iraq,
Afghanistan and Pakistan, although Landmine Monitor has not recorded any reports
of new mine-laying by Iran from1999-2004. However, there was a report in
January 2005 that Iran's Headquarters for Combating Smuggling had laid mines in
areas of Iran’s border with Iraq to stop the smuggling of goods. The
Director of IRMAC was quoted as saying, “The Mine Clearance HQ [IRMAC] is
against planting mines to combat smuggling, because they can cause considerable
harm to people.... The HQ [for Combating Smuggling] must use methods other than
mining to combat smuggling so that our fellow citizens are not put in
harm’s way.” He said IRMAC would make every effort to stop
antipersonnel mines being laid in border
areas.[12 ]In a meeting with
Landmine Monitor in September 2005, the Director of IRMAC stated that in fact
that no mines had been laid by the HQ for Combating Smuggling. He said the
media reports surrounding this incident were in error, and reiterated that it is
government policy not to lay any new mines inside
Iran.[13]
Landmine and UXO Problem
Landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination in west and southwest
Iran, particularly the provinces of Kurdistan, Western Azerbaijan, Khuzestan,
Kermanshah and Ilam, results from the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq conflict. IRMAC has
not recorded mine casualties occurring in the eastern parts of Iran,
particularly the border areas with Pakistan and Afghanistan, which were
previously thought to be
mine-affected.[14 ]
Government officials claim that Iraq planted some 12 to 16 million landmines
in Iran during the 1980s, contaminating an area of over 42,000 square
kilometers.[15 ]According to the
Director of IRMAC, this estimate was reduced to 24,000 square kilometers after
18,000 square kilometers were reduced by manual and mechanical clearance between
1988 and 2003. He stated that it will take five to ten years to clear all the
mines, costing about 4,000 billion rials (some US$443
million).[16 ]
Landmines and UXO are reported to have “severely limited”
agricultural production in the five provinces along the Iraqi
border.[17 ]They also compromise
exploitation of oil fields.[18 ]Mine and UXO contamination has affected historical sites and hindered
archeological studies in southwest Iran. The Iranian Cultural Heritage and
Tourism Organization and the Iranian military have announced that they will
“hire domestic and foreign experts to clear historical monuments and sites
of mines.”[19 ]
Mine Action Program
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Iranian government signed an
agreement in 2002 to implement a national mine action program. The National
Mine Action Council (NMAC) was established in 2003; its membership includes the
ministries of defense, interior, foreign affairs, health and medical training,
governor generals of the five mine-affected border provinces, Joint Chief
Command for Armed Forces, the IRMAC director and national mine action NGOs.
NMAC is chaired by the Minister of Defense and is responsible for formulating
policies, coordinating mine action and drafting operational protocols for
demining units, as well as mobilizing resources and procuring
equipment.[20]
NMAC created the Islamic Republic of Iran Mine Action Center in 2003, to
plan, coordinate and implement mine action. Priorities for demining are defined
according to the impact on the population; mine-affected areas usually
prioritized are villages, paths and roads, and development areas. Priorities
are determined by the Ministry of Interior, which then communicates them to
IRMAC for implementation.[21 ]
In 2005, IRMAC was said to be developing national mine action standards
based on the international standards for mine action (IMAS), adapting them to
the cultural and geographical characteristics of Iran. IMAS have been
translated into Persian.[22 ]The
Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) has not been installed,
due to US economic
sanctions.[23]
In June 2005, UNDP reported that it assisted the development of a national
mine action strategy and action plan, based on five principles: a strengthened
IRMAC, efficient and effective data management, the establishment of technical
and safety standards, reducing mine and UXO-risk for the population, and
effective resource coordination and
management.[24 ]In August 2005, the
Director of IRMAC said that a 10-year plan to eliminate all landmines in Iran by
2015 had been developed. According to the plan, Kurdistan will be completely
cleared by March 2006, and Western Azerbaijan province will be demined by March
2007.[25 ]
Mine/UXO clearance is conducted by Iranian Army Engineer Units of the
Ministry of Defense. The Ministry of Defense reportedly deals with the mine
problem from a humanitarian perspective, rather than a purely military-security
perspective.[26 ]In mid-2005, there
were 25 battalions responsible for mine
clearance.[27 ]IRMAC plans to
increase national clearance capacity, encouraging commercial companies and NGOs
to undertake mine action. As of September 2005, 17 demining organizations had
been created; six were involved in mine action activities in 2004. Activities
included survey, clearance and supervising clearance undertaken by the
Army.[28 ]The first such
organization was Immen Sazan Omran Pars (ISOP), which has been active since
2002. ISOP is based in Tehran but is primarily involved in the Ahwaz region of
Khuzestan province. ISOP reportedly adheres to IMAS. It conducts manual and
mechanical demining.[29 ]
IRMAC promotes self-sufficiency in terms of production of demining-related
material and technology. Shahid Karimi Industries, affiliated with the Defense
Industries Organization, produces personal protective equipment, mine prodders
and demining machines (Taftan I and Taftan II). In August 2005, there were 11
Taftan II machines in use by demining operators and a further 10 being tested
before delivery.[30 ]
IRMAC reported that, for March 2004-March 2005, Iran budgeted mine action
expenditure of 100 billion rials (some $11.1 million), of which 80 billion rials
(approximately $8.9 million) was spent. The same amount was budgeted for March
2005-March 2006.[31 ]
Mine and UXO Clearance
IRMAC has reported that between March 2004 and March 2005, some 528 square
kilometers were cleared, with 252,383 antipersonnel mines, 37,522 antivehicle
mines and 1,478,508 UXO destroyed. It was also reported that between March 2003
and March 2004, 711 square kilometers of contaminated land were cleared, and
81,494 antipersonnel mines, 13,623 antivehicle mines and 29,790 UXO were
destroyed.[32 ]The area was cleared
through manual clearance and mechanical clearance, and area-reduced through
survey.
Between March 2004 and August 2005, 19 deminers were reported to have been
killed and 30 injured during demining
operations.[33]
Two technical advisors from Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) are included
in the Norsk Hydro oil company’s Health Security Environment team,
providing advice on survey and mine risk
education.[34 ]In 2004, NPA was
accused by NorWatch of refusing to conduct mine clearance in nearby civilian
areas while clearing mines for Norsk Hydro. According to NorWatch, NPA was
“clearing mines in Iran on behalf of the Norwegian oil giant Norsk Hydro,
while refusing to clear mines in nearby areas used by Iranian
civilians.”[35 ]NPA denied
that this was the case, and said that its advisory presence in Iran was reduced
from 14 to two in 2002, therefore it had no clearance capacity since
2002.[36]
Another oil development project started in 2004, near Ahwaz, and involved
clearance of large quantities of landmines dating from the Iran-Iraq
wars.[37 ]Clearance at the Azadegan
oilfield, due to be completed in February 2005, was delayed by weather
conditions, and was completed in September
2005.[38]
Mine Risk Education
Mine risk education (MRE) is supported by IRMAC, which is developing
national MRE standards based on IMAS. Organizations involved in MRE during 2004
through April 2005 include the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) with support
from International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Department of Behzisti
(part of the newly established Department of Welfare) and the Department of
Education. IRMAC promotes the creation of regional MRE NGOs in affected
communities; as of August 2005, there were four such organizations in
Kermanshah, Ilam and Ahwaz provinces, dealing with MRE and victim
assistance.[39 ]
In 2004, UNICEF was reported as being the UN focal point for MRE; however it
was stated that “UNICEF has neither capacity nor strategic interest to
expand mine-risk education outside two lines of action, namely emergency
mine-risk education activities and
advocacy.”[40 ]
In 2004, ICRC conducted a needs assessment in six provinces (five bordering
Iraq, and Khorasan in the northeast bordering Afghanistan), identifying at-risk
populations, dangerous areas, ascertaining what activities were being undertaken
at the time of incidents, possible interventions to reduce risk, and potential
communication channels for future MRE campaigns. The results indicated that
there is no need for programming in Khorasan and efforts should be focused on
the five provinces bordering Iraq. IRCS provided two days of mine/UXO risk
education, focusing on both MRE messages and presentation techniques and
methodologies.[41 ]
Between 21 April 2004 and 21 May 2005, IRCS provided MRE to approximately
10,000 people in five
provinces,[42 ]and 40 IRCS
volunteers underwent a training-of-trainers program. IRCS uses methods such as
lectures, plays, presentations, and exhibitions and written material. More than
24,000 newly developed brochures were distributed to the
population.[43 ]Target groups
include Afghan and Iraqi refugees, as well as Iranians traveling to Iraq on
pilgrimage.[44 ]
In September 2005, UN High Commissioner for Refugees agreed to transfer its
MRE training of returnees to both Afghanistan and Iraq to IRCS. Under the
agreement, there will be two camps near the Afghan border and two camps near the
Iraqi border. IRCS intended to provide MRE to about 70,000 Afghan returnees and
2,500 Iraqi returnees between August and December
2005.[45 ]
A major development during 2004 was that the Department of Behzisti in
Tehran created a small MRE section, which planned to develop an MRE strategy for
all mine-affected provinces in
2005-2006.[46 ]
During 2004, the Department of Behzisti of Kurdistan Province continued its
MRE program in schools. From 2002 to April 2005, 115 of 891 urban schools and
523 out of 2,236 rural schools have received MRE. Approximately 33,917 students
have received some form of MRE, of which 5,435 were in urban areas and 28,492 in
rural areas.[47 ]This program was
reviewed during 2005, finding that 70 percent of the students retained knowledge
of landmines, and that there was an 80 percent reduction in mine-related
incidents in Kurdistan, compared to 2004. During 2005, the program focused on
shepherds and schoolchildren; the ultimate goal is to provide information to the
wider public in the province. A new version of the schoolbook Living With
Landmines was prepared during 2004, focusing on middle and high school
students.[48]
IRMAC cooperates with the Department of Education to produce mine-related
resources. IRMAC started in 2005 to produce films and advertisements in local
languages, initially for mine-affected communities in Kermanshah province.
The film Turtles Can Fly, by Bahman Ghobadi, deals with the impact of
landmines on the Kurdish community near the Iraqi-Turkish border and was
featured at the First Review Conference in November used throughout this report
December 2004.
Landmine and UXO Casualties
There is no official or comprehensive data available on landmine casualties
in Iran. According to IRMAC in early 2005, landmines were injuring an average
of two people every day; however, by August 2005, the average had decreased to
about three people injured every two
days.[49 ]Scores of shepherds and
local residents living near the Iran-Iraq border are reportedly killed or
injured by landmines every year.[50 ]Various sources give an indication of the scope of the problem.
The Iranian Mine Victim Resource Center (IMC) collects landmine casualty
data nationwide, but mainly in the Mehran region of Ilam province. In 2004, in
the city of Mehran and neighboring villages, IMC recorded 21 mine casualties,
including two people killed and 19 injured; a significant decrease from the 135
casualties reported in 2003 (34 killed and 101
injured).[51 ]
In 2004, the media reported more than 109 new mine and UXO casualties in
Iran; including at least 50 people killed and 59 injured. Landmine Monitor
identified at least 66 landmine casualties reported in the media in 2003,
including 45 people killed and 21
injured.[52]
Landmine/UXO casualties reported in the media in 2004 include five separate
landmine incidents in January, which killed four people and injured another in
the western border region.[53 ]On
22 March, a 14-year-old and a 21-year-old pilgrim were killed when a landmine
exploded as they visited a battlefield of the Iran-Iraq war in southwestern
Iran.[54 ]Also in March, three
people were killed and another injured while grazing cattle near Sumar, in the
western border region.[55 ]In two
mine incidents in April and May; a 10-year-old child and two men were injured in
Sardasht in the northwestern province of
Azerbaijan.[56 ]On 18 December, two
people were killed and four injured when a mortar shell exploded in a
house.[57 ]In late December, two
shepherds were killed in Dehloran, near the Iran-Iraq
border.[58 ]On 25 December, one
person was killed and another injured in a landmine explosion in Meymak on the
outskirts of Mehran.[59 ]Another
media report states that as many as 50 people were killed in landmine incidents
in Iran in 2004.[60 ]In Ilam
province, between 21 March and 18 December 2004, 40 people were reportedly
killed in mine and UXO incidents in the Iran-Iraq border
areas.[61]
The Director of IRMAC informed Landmine Monitor that between March 2004 and
August 2005, 19 deminers were reported to have been killed and 30 injured during
demining operations.[62 ]It was
reported in local media that between 21 March and the end of 2004, seven
military deminers were killed and 44 injured in mine clearance operations in
Khuzestan province. In Khuzestan province, since the beginning of mine
clearance operations until 21 March 2004, 154 military deminers were reportedly
killed and 614 injured.[63 ]
In October 2004, one Iranian was killed and another injured in a landmine
explosion while illegally trying to cross the Turkish-Greek
border.[64]
Casualties continued to be reported in 2005. IRMAC reports two shepherds
killed in mine incidents in July, and three deminers injured in Khusravi on 27
August; earlier in 2005 the head of the demining unit was killed during a
clearance operation.[65 ]Media
reports include an incident on 17 April in which five children (aged 11 to 15)
were killed and 16 others, including eight children, were injured when UXO being
used as a goalpost for a football game exploded; the artillery shell was from
the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.[66 ]In
August, a policeman was killed and five others were injured when their vehicle
hit a landmine close to Sardasht.[67 ]In January, a “heavy blast” was reported during a mine
sweeping operation in the border city of Shalamcheh. It is not known if there
were any casualties, but 25 similar blasts were also
reported.[68 ]
According to IMC, between 1988 and 2002 there have been 6,765 landmine
casualties in Iran, including 2,840 people killed and 3,925 injured. Casualties
were recorded in Kurdistan (437 killed and 1,720 injured), Khuzestan (601 killed
and 1,241 injured), Kermanshah (874 killed and 522 injured), Ilam (730 killed
and 250 injured) and Western Azerbaijan (198 killed and 192
injured).[69 ]The Sina Trauma and
Surgery Research Center at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences reports
over 7,000 landmine-related incidents in Iran since 1988; over 95 percent
resulted in civilian casualties and around 13-15 percent involved children. In
Kermanshah province from 1994-2004, 990 people were killed and 1,270 seriously
injured in landmine
incidents.[70 ]
Since the end of the Iraq war, many refugees from the first Gulf War (1991)
and many Iranian Shiite Muslims have attempted to cross the heavily mined border
region to return home or to visit religious sites of Karbala and Najjaf in Iraq.
This led to a sharp increase in mine casualties in
2003.[71 ]However, in 2004 and 2005
the number of pilgrims crossing the borders, and the number of mine casualties,
has decreased because of the volatile situation in
Iraq.[72 ]
Survivor Assistance and Disability Policy and Practice
Little is known about the public health system in Iran. Military mine
casualties receive medical care, rehabilitation, prosthetics and a pension from
the Army. Civilian mine casualties are referred and assigned to a private or
public facility. The Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center and Hospital of
Tehran University of Medical Sciences specializes in acute care and surgery, but
also provides relevant training courses, material and statistics on emergency
care. In Kurdistan, the Sanandaj Besat hospital assists landmine
casualties.
On 26 November 2004, the Regional Seminar on Prevention and Treatment of
Landmine Injuries was held in Tehran, bringing together over 200 people dealing
primarily with the medical and educational aspects of the landmine problem in
Iran. The seminar was sponsored by the Norwegian NGO Trauma Care Foundation
(TCF) and the Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center
(JMERC).[73 ]
TCF has two training centers, in Tehran and Ilam. It trains instructors
who, in turn, train health personnel and villagers in both basic and advanced
emergency medical care for mine casualties and other trauma
injuries.[74 ]In 2004, the
activities of TCF decreased due to its partnership with the Iranian Mine Victim
Resource Center.[75 ]
IMC aims to provide pre-hospital medical care to landmine casualties to
decrease the mortality rate and improve their chances of recovery and
rehabilitation. IMC provides medical training at all levels, in partnership
with TCF, and creates emergency response mechanisms in mine-affected areas. The
center provides transport to specialized medical facilities, equipment,
medicine, rehabilitation services, artificial limbs, and financial, psychosocial
and spiritual support for casualties and survivors, during their stay at the
hospital and the rehabilitation period. IMC also collects casualty data for
analysis in the preparation of MRE and survivor assistance programs. IMC is
operating primarily in the city of Mehran and in neighboring villages of Ilam
province. TCF and IMC have trained over 170 medical doctors in advanced life
support, 1,700 teachers in intermediate life support and 2,964 citizens in the
Mehran region in basic life support. TCF and IMC conducted seminars for
emergency doctors and nurses at three regional hospitals: Imam Khomeini Hospital
in Ilam, Imam Hussein Hospital in Mehran and Martyrs’ Hospital in
Dehloran. TCF and IMC also distributed medical backpacks throughout the region,
including 10 advanced medical backpacks for villages and the emergency room of
the hospital in Ilam, 26 basic medical backpacks and 300 first aid
kits.[76]
The Iranian Red Crescent Society has physical rehabilitation centers in 13
provinces, physiotherapy centers in 26 provinces, and medical centers in four
provinces.[77 ]In August 2005, the
Iranian Red Crescent inaugurated the first Rescue and Relief School in Iran,
dealing with emergency and disaster
response.[78 ]IRCS also assists
other countries in the region. In December 2004, IRCS opened a hospital in
Yemen, the third hospital in the region; IRCS also operates medical centers in
Africa and Asia.[79 ]
Other organizations providing assistance to persons with disabilities
include the Iman Khomeini Aid Committee, Social Security Organization and the
Mostazafan and Janbazan Foundation (Foundation for the
Deprived).[80]
IRMAC states that it coordinates with other agencies to ensure that the
needs of all mine survivors and/or their families are met. IRMAC forms NGOs
dealing with survivor assistance and MRE in the mine-affected communities; in
mid-2205, there were four organizations, in Kermanshah, Ilam and
Ahwaz.[81 ]The Welfare Organization
of Iran (Behzisti) in Tehran deals with all forms of social welfare, including
for landmine survivors and other people with disabilities, and offers social
services and rehabilitation.[82 ]
The Technical and Vocational Training Organization, linked to the Ministry
of Social Affairs, has 338 training centers throughout Iran; however, it is not
known if any landmine survivors have benefited from the
centers.[83]
In Iran, issues relating to persons with disabilities are coordinated by the
State High Council for Coordination of Disabled Persons Affairs. All mine
survivors, or the families of those killed, are entitled to monetary support
from the government once the incident has been registered and confirmed. To
qualify for benefits, incidents must be reported to the Provincial
Governor’s Office for Social
Welfare.[84 ]
The 1959 Recommendation No. 99 on the Vocational Rehabilitation of the
Disabled defines the framework for the protection of people with disabilities,
but is limited to economic reintegration through government training programs,
and equal treatment in
employment.[85]
[1 ]Interview with Hossein Vaziri,
Director, Islamic Republic of Iran Mine Action Center (IRMAC), Tehran, 28 August
2005.
[2 ]“Summary of Japan-Iran
consultation on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation,” BBC
(Tokyo), 1 February 2004.
[3 ]Permanent Mission of Iran to
the United Nations, “Explanation of Vote: The Islamic Republic of Iran:
Draft Resolution L.43 on Ottawa Convention,” New York, 2 July 2003.
[4 ]Interview with Reza Najafi,
Counselor to the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United
Nations, New York, 2 July 2003; interview with Mr. Shakarian, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Tehran, 6 January 2004.
[5 ]Shortly after receiving the
prize, she said her “new dream is to clear Iran from land mines...to get
rid of these mines to the very last one.” “Iran: Interview with
Nobel Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi,” Radio Free Europe, 13 December
2003.
[6 ]Press Statement, “Shirin
Ebadi launches Iranian Landmine Campaign,” Nairobi, 1 December 2004,
published in ICBL, “Wanted: A Mine-Free World, Nairobi Summit on a
Mine-Free World, Report on Activities,” May 2005, p. 45.
[7]Interview with Shirin Ebadi and
Mina Rabei, Tehran, 17 August 2005.
[8]United Nations,
“Countries stand united in the battle against landmines,” 4 November
2004, www.un.int/Angola/press_release_landmines.
[9 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005.
[10 ]Letter from the Permanent
Mission of Iran to the United Nations to Mary Wareham, Landmine Monitor Global
Coordinator, 6 September 2002.
[11 ]Information provided to
Landmine Monitor and ICBL by the HALO Trust, Danish Demining Group and other
demining groups operating in Afghanistan in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In addition,
Iranian antipersonnel and antivehicle mines were part of a shipment seized by
Israel in January 2002 off the coast of Gaza.
[12 ]“Mining border areas
not the answer to smuggling, says Iranian official,” Iranian Students
News Agency (Tehran), 19 January 2005.
[13]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 22 September 2005.
[14 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 20 September 2005; see Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 987.
[15 ]“7,000 Hectares of
Land Cleared from Iraqi Mines,” Islamic Republic News Agency
(Khorramshahr), 25 March 2002. For details of mines used by Iran and Iraq,
see Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 1005.
[16 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 20 September 2005. Exchange rate: US$1 = IRR9,017, used
throughout this report, www.xe.com, accessed 27
September 2005.
[17 ]“UNDP to Support Mine
Action Awareness Program in Iran,” Tehran Times, 25 July 2002.
[18 ]“International Oil
Firms Eye Iran’s Azadegan,” Energy Compass, 31 October 2002;
“Azadegan Holds Huge Oil Potential,” Petroleum Intelligence
Weekly, 31 October 2002.
[19 ]“Demining Iran’s
Historical Sites Halted Over Security Dispute,” Payvand, 8 August
2004, and “Iranian, Foreign Experts to Defuse Mines In Historical
Sites,” Payvand, 24 August 2004, www.payvand.com accessed 5 May
2005.
[20]Interviews with Hossein
Vaziri, Director, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005, and Geneva, 20 September 2005.
Hossein Vaziri is also Head of the Engineering Department of the Defense and
Armed Forces.
[21 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 20 September 2005.
[22 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005.
[23]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 20 September 2005; see also www.gichd.ch/imsma.
[24 ]UNDP, “Mine Action
Update,” June/July 2005.
[25 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 20 September 2005.
[26 ]UN, “Country profile:
Islamic Republic of Iran,” www.mineaction.org, accessed on 13
September 2005; interview with Hossein Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August
2005.
[27 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 20 September 2005.
[28 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005.
[29 ]Interview with Ali
Valizadeh, ISOP president, Tehran, 21 August 2005.
[30 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005.
[31 ]Emails from Mehdi F.
Moghadam, International Affairs Manager, IRMAC, 4 and 13 September 2005.
[32 ]Email from Hossein Vaziri,
IRMAC, Tehran, 27 September 2005.
[33]Interviews with Hossein
Vaziri, Director, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005, and Geneva, 20 September 2005.
See also Landmine/UXO Casualties later.
[34 ]Email from Are Hauger,
Project Officer, NPA Iran, 1 July 2005. See also Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 987.
[35 ]“Sudan Chemical
Weapons Allegations From Norway, German,” Afrol News, 15 September
2004, www.afrol.com/articles/13956, accessed 5 May 2005. NorWatch is a
Norwegian organization which monitors Norwegian businesses in developing
countries, with regard to human rights, health, environment and safety.
[36]Email from Are Hauger,
Project Officer, NPA Iran, 1 July 2005.
[37 ]Paul Sampson, “Iran:
Missed Opportunity,” Energy Compass, 8 July 2004.
[38]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Geneva, 20 September 2005; “Demining Operations in Azadegan
Oilfield to End Soon,” Mehrnews.com, 18 April 2005, www.mehrnews.ir accessed 5 May 2005.
[39 ]Interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005.
[40 ]UN, “Mine Action
Portfolio 2004,” p. 217.
[41 ]Interview with Ali Asghari,
Director of General Training, Office of Relief and Rescue, IRCS, and Nima
Dadbin, Field Assistant, ICRC, Tehran, 18 August 2005.
[42 ]Interview with Ali Asghari,
and Nima Dadbin, ICRC, Tehran, 18 August 2005. This was broken down as being
7,778 people in Kermanshah, 56 public educational programs for 1,305 people in
Kurdistan, 10 public educational programs for 348 people in Ilam, six public
educational program for 130 people in Western Azarbaijan, and 10 public
educational programs for 230 people in Khuzestan province.
[43 ]Interview with Ali Asghari
and Nima Dadbin, ICRC, Tehran, 18 August 2005.
[44 ]ICRC, “Iranian
volunteers trained for mine awareness,” 16 August 2004.
[45 ]Interview with Ali Asghari
and Nima Dadbin, ICRC, Tehran, 18 August 2005.
[46 ]Interview with Dr.
Yazdanparast, Department of Behzisti, Tehran, 18 August 2005.
[47 ]“Implementation of the
Plan to Prevent Disability From Landmine Explosions,” Department of
Behsizti, 2004, p. 6.
[48]Interview with Dr.
Yazdanparast, Department of Behzisti, Tehran, 18 August 2005.
[49 ]“Mining Border Area
Not the Answer to Smuggling, Says Iranian Official,” Iranian Students
News Agency, 19 January 2005; Landmine Monitor interview with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005.
[50 ]“Three Killed, One
Wounded in Mine Explosion at Iran Border,” Tehran Times, 12 April
2004.
[51 ]“Information about
Landmine Explosion Victims,” provided to Landmine Monitor by Nahid
Nafissi, Director, Iranian Mine Victim Resource Center (IMC), Tehran, 25 August
2005.
[52]For details, see Landmine
Monitor Report 2004, pp. 989-990.
[53 ]“Landmine Explosion
Kills Four at Western Border,” Tehran Times (Tehran), 20 January
2004.
[54 ]“Iran: Land-mine
explosion kills two pilgrims near Iraqi border,” Fars News Agency
(Tehran), 25 March 2004.
[55 ]“Three Killed, One
Wounded in Mine Explosion at Iran Border,” Tehran Times, 12 April
2004.
[56 ]“Mine Blast Severely
Injures Little Boy in Northwest Iran,” Payvand, 12 April 2004; and
“Two Wounded in Mine Explosion in West Azerbaijan,” IRNA, 3
May 2004.
[57 ]“Explosion of Mortar
from Iran-Iraq War Era Leaves Two Dead and Four Injured in Mehran,”
IRNA (Ilam), 18 December 2004, http://payvand.com/news/04/dec/1141.html,
accessed 5 May and 30 August 2005.
[58 ]“Landmines Kill Three
in Iran,” United Press International (Tehran), 27 December 2004, http://washingtontimes.com, accessed 5
May 2005.
[59 ]“Unexploded mine left
over from war kills one, injures another in Western Iran,” IRNA
(Ilam), 25 December 2004.
[60 ]“Landmines Kill Three
in Iran,” United Press International (Tehran), 27 December 2004, http://washingtontimes.com, accessed 5
May 2005.
[61]“Unexploded mine left
over from war kills one, injures another in Western Iran,” IRNA
(Ilam), 25 December 2004; “Explosion of Mortar From Iran-Iraq War Era
Leaves Two Dead and Four Injured in Mehran,” IRNA (Ilam), 18
December 2004, http://payvand.com/news,
accessed 5 May 2005.
[62 ]Interviews with Hossein
Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August, and Geneva, 20 September 2005.
[63 ]“Clearing Mines from
the Border Regions Will Take 5 Years and Cost US$375 Million,”
Radiofarda, 11 January 2005, www.radiofarda.org/iran, accessed 5
May 2005.
[64]“Iranian killed on
Turkish border trying to enter Greece illegally,” Katherimerini
(Athens), 5 October 2004; “Un clandestine iranien tué sur
un champ de mines à la frontière greco-turque,” Agence
France-Presse (Athens), 4 October 2004.
[65 ]IRMAC, “Not War, but
Murder;” “Mines are still taking the lives of out innocent
countrymen;” “Field-Marshal Mosayeb Moradi Keshmarzi Joins his
Almighty Creator,” www.irmac.ir accessed
30 August 2005.
[66 ]“Exploding goalpost
kills five Iranian children,” Agence France-Presse (Tehran), 21
April 2005, www.hindustantimes.com/news,
accessed 30 August 2005.
[67 ]“Iranian policeman
killed by suspected Kurdish rebel landmine,” Agence France-Presse
(Tehran), 18 August 2005.
[68 ]“Blast Rocked
Iran’s Khorramshahr,” IranMania (London), 11 January 2005,
www.iranmania.com, accessed 5 May
2005.
[69 ]“Information about
Landmine Explosion Victims,” provided to Landmine Monitor by Nahid
Nafissi, Director, IMC, Tehran, 25 August 2005; www.landmineiran.org, accessed 30 August
2005.
[70 ]Mosa Zargar, “The
Regional Seminar on Prevention and Treatment of Landmine Injuries,”
Tehran, 26 November 2004.
[71 ]“Police Find Bodies of
6 Iranian Pilgrims,” IRNA (Ilam), 2 September 2004, www.payvand.com, accessed 5 May 2005; for
details, see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 989-990.
[72 ]“Information about
Landmine Explosion Victims,” provided to Landmine Monitor by Nahid
Nafissi, Director, IMC, Tehran, 25 August 2005.
[73 ]Mosa Zargar, “The
Regional Seminar on Prevention and Treatment of Landmine Injuries,”
Tehran, 26 November 2004.
[74 ]For more information, see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 990-991
[75 ]Landmine Monitor interview
with Nahid Nafissi, Director, IMC, and Masoud Saghafinia and Salam Heydarinejad,
Board members, IMC, Tehran, 25 August 2005.
[76]Landmine Monitor interview
with Nahid Nafissi, Director, IMC, and Masoud Saghafinia and Salam Heydarinejad,
Board members, IMC, Tehran, 25 August 2005; interview with Kamran Balouchi, Head
nurse, Ilam University, Ilam, 27 August 2005; IMC, “Introductory
Brochure,” Tehran, 2004, p. 4.
[77 ]For more information, see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 991.
[78 ]IRCS, “First Rescue
and Relief school of the country IRCS inaugurated by Dr. Ghosian, Secretary
General and Director General of Isfahan province on 24/08/05,” www.rcs.ir, accessed 30 August 2005.
[79 ]IRCS, “Speech by Dr.
Ahmad Ali Noorbala at the opening ceremony of the Iranian Red Crescent medical
centre in Yemen,” 21 December 2004, www.rcs.ir, accessed 30 August 2005.
[80]See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 991.
[81 ]Landmine Monitor interview
with Hossein Vaziri, IRMAC, Tehran, 28 August 2005.
[82 ]Landmine Monitor interview
with Dr. Yazdanparast, Behzisti, Tehran, 18 August 2005.
[83]Technical and Vocational
Training Organization, www.irantvto.com/introduct.html.
[84 ]See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 991.
[85]Center for International
Rehabilitation, “Rights of People with Disabilities: Iran,” www.cirnetwork.org/idrm/reports/compendium/iran.cfm.
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