Ethnic Minorities in Iran or Iranian Ethnic Groups? From a Journalistic View to a Legal Standpoint

Minority is a controversial term in international law. Any ethnic group meeting the characteristics of a minority group is qualified to be called an Ethnic Minority and accordingly falls under the protection of IMRL. Traditionally, Iran has been the habitat of distinguished ethnic groups, but compatibility of the international legal concept of "the minority and non-dominant ethnic groups" on Iranian ethnic groups in I.R.I. legal system needs to be investigated. The question ,to answer which this article is written, is that according to international law criteria and regulations whether is there any ethnic minority group in Iran? The authors believe that, in accordance with international jurisprudence and doctrine and on the basis of population and political-social-cultural structure and ethnic design and legal system of I.R.I., none of the ethnic groups in Iran could be called an ethnic minority in its particular sense.