Increased Criminalization of Intentional Abortion in Iran; Ministry of Health Threatens Doctors

An official from Iran's Ministry of Health announced that about 30% of 'illegal' abortions are performed by medical professionals, stating: 'If a doctor performs an illegal abortion, their license will be revoked.' Suleiman Heydari, the director of the Center for Supervision and Accreditation of Medical Affairs at the Ministry of Health, said: 'A large portion of 'illegal' abortions are performed with medication or outside medical centers.' He added: 'The Ministry of Health cannot track abortions outside medical centers but will supervise these centers.' In this context, the supply of abortion medication has also been declared permissible only in authorized medical centers. Recently, 'Khabar Online' reported the existence of websites that deliver abortion medication 'to your home' 'for cash payment' with just one call. The report mentioned that the pills in question are 'American, German, English, and Indian,' priced at one million, one million two hundred thousand, and two million six hundred fifty thousand tomans respectively. There are no precise statistics on abortion in Iran, and officials have made various statements on the matter. Last year, the governor of Tehran stated that approximately 370,000 abortions occur annually. The director of the Center for Supervision and Accreditation of Medical Affairs at the Ministry of Health reported that the number of 'legal' abortions performed for medical reasons is about 10,000 per year. Following the intensification of the criminalization of intentional abortion in Iran, the Deputy Minister of Health also reported sending over 100 cases related to this issue to judicial authorities. Saeed Karimi also mentioned that a 'National Healthy Fertility System' will soon be launched, which will monitor mothers from the time of a positive pregnancy test until the baby is born to prevent abortions 'for population growth.' Article 56 of the 'Family Support and Population Youth Law' prohibits abortion and considers it a crime punishable by blood money, imprisonment, and revocation of medical licenses. The 'Family Support and Population Youth Law' was passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly in October 2021. The 'Mizan' news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, also reported in an interview with a criminologist that 'according to Article 623 of the Islamic Penal Code, anyone who causes an abortion by providing medication is punishable by six months to one year in prison. If that person is a doctor, midwife, or pharmacist, they face two to five years in prison.' This expert also stated that if a mother performs this action 'alone,' she is only liable to pay blood money. Many women seeking abortions in Iran are forced to resort to the black market for special pills, which poses risks due to the possibility of counterfeit or expired medications. Some women also utilize underground abortion services, which may occur in unsanitary conditions. The World Health Organization emphasizes that lack of access to safe, affordable, timely abortion care poses risks to women's physical and mental health throughout their lives. This organization's statistics indicate that between 4.7% to 13.2% of maternal deaths are related to 'unsafe' abortions annually. Human rights organizations stress that denying abortion services through criminalization or imposing restrictions and delays in providing services constitutes a form of 'gender-based violence' and can lead to cruel, humiliating, and inhumane treatment of women, amounting to torture. Laleh Mehrad: Unsafe abortion endangers women's mental and physical health. Alarming statistics on abortion in Iran; Raisi calls for action against offenders.