Prostitution in Iran
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Prostitution in Iran may under some circumstances incur various punishments ranging from fines and jail terms to execution for repeat offenders. Prostitution has increased over the past decade and the Iranian government has considered regulating prostitution in order to combat this act.[1]. In 2007, the United States State Department placed Iran as a "Tier 2" in its annual Trafficking in Persons reports, stating that "it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so".[2]]][dubious – discuss]. In 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton downgraded Iran to "Tier 3", noting that the country makes no significant effort to solve trafficking problems, mainly in relation to prostitution and forced labor.[3][dubious – discuss].
Many women from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Ukrain, China, Azerbeyjan, and central asian countries are smuggled into or through Iran to the Persian gulf states.{[Citation needed|date=January 2011}}
The exact number of prostitutes working in Iran is unknown. However, in Tehran, their visibility on street corners suggests that there are tens of thousands. Most prostitutes are runaways from poor and broken homes.[4][verification needed]
In 2008, General Reza Zarei, the Tehran police chief, was arrested in a brothel with six prostitutes.[5] His arrest caused embarrassment for the government of President Ahmadinejad, because he was in charge of vice in Tehran—he was expected to arrest prostitutes, not pay them for services.[5] The prosecutor in the case remarked that Zarei exploited his office to profit materially from prostitution.[5]
References
- ^ "Human Rights Report: Iran". Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. U.S. Department of State. 2009-02-25. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ "Trafficking in Persons Report". Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. U.S. Department of State. 2009-02-25. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2010). "Trafficking in Persons Report 2010". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ [1]
- ^ a b c "Prostitute Scandal Rattles Tehran Government". Spiegel Online International. April 28, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
See also
- Nikah mut'ah Temporary marriage in Shia Islam
- Chastity House Houses where Nikah mut'ah takes place in Iran
- Transsexuality in Iran
- LGBT rights in Iran