Establishment of a Judicial Complex for Intersex Individuals in Tehran

Abbas Pouryani, the Chief Justice of the General and Revolutionary Courts of Tehran, has announced the establishment of a judicial complex to address cases involving intersex individuals in Iran. In an interview published on Saturday (December 14) by the official news agency of the Judiciary, 'Mizan', Pouryani stated that during visits to judicial complexes in Tehran province, he encountered a 'gap' in the judicial handling of 'personal status' matters, prompting the creation of such a complex. 'Personal status' is a term in Islamic jurisprudence referring to matters mandated by Islamic law that do not have a specific individual responsible for their execution. Support for unaccompanied individuals through the appointment of guardians, oversight of guardians' actions, inheritance and will matters, and management of the assets of missing persons are among the 'personal status' issues. According to judicial authorities, matters related to intersex individuals in Iran are also classified as 'personal status' issues and will be addressed in this complex regarding their gender change and determination. The Chief Justice added that 'a series of specific cases, including those of intersex individuals applying for gender change, will all be handled in this complex for their convenience.' Pouryani noted that previously, 'the handling of such applications was scattered across various complexes,' and 'we have created a complex so that they are not scattered and can go to one place for specialized handling.' Intersex individuals in Iran face numerous social restrictions, which is why gender change surgeries are more prevalent in this country compared to many others. Since June 2012, insurance companies in Iran have been required to cover the surgical costs for individuals seeking gender change. Previously, the Welfare Organization partially covered the costs of gender change surgeries, but this amount was insufficient to cover all expenses. According to statistics published by the Forensic Medicine Organization, in 2012, more than 270 Iranians changed their gender with permission from this organization annually. Official statistics indicate that between 2006 and 2010, more than 1,336 individuals received gender change permits in Iran. Among these individuals, 56% expressed a desire to transition to female and 44% intended to transition to male through surgery. The process for gender change in Iran is such that intersex individuals request a gender change operation from the court, which then refers their case to the Forensic Medicine Organization for review. According to officials from the Forensic Medicine Organization, they first assess the appearance, physical, hormonal, and psychological status of the applicants and then interview their families. As stated by officials from this organization, after the evaluations, 'if it is truly established that the individual has a problem, legal actions for gender change will commence.' The issuance of gender change permits in Iran began around 2001.