Iranian Green Movement case

Concerning Ms. P.H.A vs Denmark for violation of Articles 1, 2, 3, 12 and 15 of CEDAW.  

The applicant left Iran because she and her husband were tortured. In 2007, The applicant was given 25 lashes for serving alcohol. In 2009, the applicant’s husband participated in the Iranian Green Movement demonstrations after which he was arrested and tortured. The Iranian authorities visited the author’s house, took all their belongings and threatened to kill them. Thus they fled to Denmark.

The applicant and her husband converted to Christianity in 2012 because the applicant found that people who converted to Christianity treated each other well. The Refugee Board rejected the application for asylum as it could not believe that the applicant has undergone genuine conversion to Christianity. Thus a complaint was sent to CEDAW. On the 21 November 2016, the committee decided that the communication is inadmissible because the author failed to substantiate her allegations. Regarding the conversion to Christianity, the Committee decided that domestic remedies had not been exhausted as this claim was never brought to the Danish authorities prior to the submission of the present communication.

22. July 2021

CEDAW 61/2013
  • Decision: 24. November 2016
  • Comm: Gender