Reference Document of the Independent Supervisory Council of the Progressive Iranians Party

1. Nature and Status of the Council

The Independent Supervisory Council is a supervisory, independent, and cross-party institution within the structure of the Progressive Iranians Party, whose mission is to safeguard the foundational principles enshrined in the White Paper and to monitor the adherence of party organs to these principles.

This council is considered the institutional authority for identifying and announcing violations of the party's foundational principles, and its objective is to prevent structural deviation, concentration of power, and the party drifting away from the rights-oriented and democratic frameworks set forth in the White Paper. 

The Independent Supervisory Council is not an executive or managerial body and does not interfere in the party's executive decision-making. Its duty is to oversee the alignment of party structures, decisions, and performances with the party's foundational principles.

This council is an institution independent of the party's executive organs, and its sole accountable authority is the General Assembly of the Party.

2. Composition of the Council

The Independent Supervisory Council consists of at least three members.

The members of the council must be selected from among figures who:

• Possess professional and ethical credibility
• Have intellectual and institutional independence and no conflicts of interest
• Have a background of activity in legal, civil, academic, or social fields

At least one member of the council must be an experienced jurist with a reputable professional background and without any record of legal or ethical violations.

The composition of the council must be such that its independence from the executive organs of the party is fully preserved.

3. Conditions for Membership in the Council

Members of the Independent Supervisory Council must meet the following conditions:

1. Institutional independence from the executive organs of the party

2. Non-simultaneous membership in the Coordination Council or other executive organs of the party

3. Possession of a reputable professional and social background

4. Overt adherence to the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law

Additionally, council members must lack any of the following backgrounds or affiliations:

• Cooperation or organizational affiliation with the repressive institutions of the Islamic Republic (Basij, security institutions and the Ministry of Intelligence, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, organs related to the mechanisms of foundations linked to the Velayat-e Faqih, the Revolutionary Court, military and security courts, etc.)
• Cooperation or affiliation with the repressive structures of the pre-Islamic Republic autocracy (SAVAK)
• A history of cooperation or affiliation with any security, military, or intelligence agency in any other country in the world
• Organizational relationship or close cooperation with power structures for which the absence of conflicts of interest cannot be verified

The purpose of these conditions is to guarantee the institutional independence, credibility, and neutrality of the Supervisory Council.

4. Duties of the Council

The duties of the Independent Supervisory Council are as follows:

• Monitoring the adherence of party organs to the foundational principles enshrined in the White Paper (including commitment to human rights)
• Monitoring, identifying, and reporting violations of these principles in party structures or decisions
• Announcing violations or deviations from the party's foundational principles
• Issuing corrective recommendations and admonitions to responsible organs
• Submitting supervisory reports to the General Assembly of the Party

The council's objective is continuous reform and steering the party's performance back to the framework of its foundational principles.

5. Phase One: The Supervisory Council During the Party's Preparation Period

During the formation stage of the party and prior to the convening of the first General Assembly, the Independent Supervisory Council is formed temporarily.

In this phase:

• The members of the council are appointed upon the recommendation of the Party Preparation Council
• The council operates as an independent supervisory institution alongside the preparation structure

The duties of the council in this phase include:

• Supervising the alignment of the activities of the Temporary Preparation Council with the explicit principles of the White Paper
• Announcing potential violations of foundational principles during the party formation process and correcting them
• Issuing admonitions or corrective recommendations to the Temporary Preparation Council to ensure principled and defensible progress in the party formation process

In the event of observing serious violations of foundational principles, the council may publicly announce the matter or demand its immediate correction.

The mission of the temporary Supervisory Council continues until the convening of the first General Assembly of the Party.

6. Phase Two: The Supervisory Council After the First General Assembly

Upon the convening of the first General Assembly of the Party:

• The mission of the temporary Supervisory Council ends
• The General Assembly decides on the composition and term of office of the Independent Supervisory Council

The General Assembly may:

1. Elect new members to the council

2. Choose council members from among nominated candidates

3. Confirm the members of the temporary council for the first official term of the council

Following this phase, the Independent Supervisory Council will operate as the official supervisory institution of the party.

The term of office of the council must be limited and specific, but it can be extended indefinitely by a vote of the General Assembly, or some members may be replaced in the General Assembly elections. Members of the Supervisory Council may run as candidates for a new term of elections in any voting cycle.

7. Mechanism for Handling Violations of Principles

In the event of detecting a violation of the party's foundational principles:

1. The Independent Supervisory Council shall report the matter to the Coordination Council of the Party.

2. The Coordination Council is obligated to take the necessary actions to correct or resolve the mentioned issues.

If the Independent Supervisory Council is not satisfied with the correction of the violations, it may refer the matter directly to the General Assembly of the Party.

The General Assembly, as the highest decision-making authority of the party, shall decide on the matter.

8. Scope of the Council's Authority

The Independent Supervisory Council:

• Does not interfere in the executive management of the party
• Does not intervene in the political or programmatic decisions of the party
• Its role is limited to monitoring and overseeing compliance with the party's foundational principles

This council is a supervisory institution, not a managerial one.

9. Independence of the Council

To preserve the independence of the Supervisory Council:

• Council members must not simultaneously serve in the executive organs of the party
• No executive organ of the party has the right to dismiss or appoint council members
• The sole authority for determining the composition of the council, based on the conditions stated in this document, is the General Assembly of the Party

This mechanism serves as a guarantee to prevent the concentration of power and to ensure independent oversight of the party's performance.

10. Confidentiality and Security of Cooperation

Given the political conditions in Iran and the necessity of protecting the security of members and collaborators, the Temporary Supervisory Council is committed to observing the principles of confidentiality and network security.

All council members, prior to participating in activities, commit to observing confidentiality principles, protecting sensitive information, and safeguarding the security of individuals and the council's communication structures.

This commitment includes the following:

• Protecting the identity of non-public members or collaborators
• Not publishing or transferring internal council information without official authorization
• Protecting information related to the council's communication, organizational, and security infrastructure
• Observing the principle of minimum information disclosure in public communications

The commitment to confidentiality is not limited to the period of membership in the council and remains valid even after the end of membership or the conclusion of the activities of the Temporary Supervisory Council.

This principle is essential for protecting individuals' security, preventing harm to the cooperation network, and reducing risks arising from pressure or threats by repressive structures or other malicious actors.

At the same time, the implementation of the confidentiality principle must always take place within the framework of the foundational principles of human rights, individual rights, and legal norms, and it cannot be used as a tool to conceal violations, infringe upon individuals' rights, or prevent the reporting of violations of the party's foundational principles.

11. Conclusion

The Independent Supervisory Council is an institution dedicated to protecting the foundational principles of the Progressive Iranians Party and ensuring the adherence of party structures to these principles.

By establishing an independent supervisory mechanism, this council prevents the party from deviating from democratic, rights-oriented, and anti-authoritarian frameworks and provides the possibility of institutional reform in the event of deviations.

The existence of this council is part of the party's institutional mechanism to guarantee practical adherence to the principles enshrined in the White Paper.