70 Iranian lawmakers have signed a bill to apply for collective pardons for
political crimes and political prisoners who were served with harsh sentences.
"Collective pardons are within the authority of lawmakers. As lawmakers can
define a crime, they also can provide pardons for some crimes," Mohammad Javad
Fathi, member of the legal and judiciary committee of the Iranian parliament,
told ISNA news agency.
Iran frequently comes under fire for its human rights record.
The bill covers all politically-related sentences and aims to reduce use of the
death penalty.
The bill comes amid expectations that Ramin Hossein Panahi may be executed
shortly. He was arrested in June 2017 on charges of being a member of the
Kurdish opposition party Komala. Prosecutors said he had received military
training and was carrying a gun and a grenade at the time of his arrest.
The punishment for those who fight against the Islamic Republic is the death
penalty.
Panahi's lawyer denied the prosecutor's version of events, insisting his client
had been unarmed when he was arrested.
The bill also addresses dual nationals.
"Iranians living abroad can return to Iran without any prosecution if they have
not been sued by any person," Fathi explained.
In Iran has arrested several Iranians with dual nationalities. Around 6 million
Iranians live outside the country, mostly in Europe and the US.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman, is serving a 5-year prison
sentence for allegedly planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government.
In May, Tehran's Revolutionary Court announced that she was facing new
security-related charges.
"I think as lawmakers we have to show this green light to about 6 to 7 million
Iranians abroad because there are many experts among them," Fathi stated,
noting the country is in need of this human capital.
The bill is likely to be discussed in parliament next week. If it is passed by
the legislature, it will still have to be approved by the Guardian Council of
the Constitution, a conservative council of the Islamic Republic, in order to
become law.
Source: rudaw.net, June 15, 2018
MPs Propose An Amnesty For Diaspora Iranians
The Islamic Republic's parliament (Majles) has drafted a double emergency
motion to declare general amnesty and judicial immunity for diaspora Iranians.
Meanwhile, the motion has also called for restricting death penalty across the
country.
The motion, signed by more than 70 MPs, has been delivered to the parliament's
board of directors, a member of Majles Judicial and Legal Commission, Mohammad
Javad Fat'hee told E'timad Online pro-reform website on Wednesday, June 13.
"Since the legislators are authorized to define a crime, they have also the
authority to demand amnesty for people convicted of particular crimes," Fat'hee
argued, adding, "Therefore, the new motion has proposed a general amnesty for
all the people charged or convicted of political and security related crimes."
However, according to Fat'hee, the new motion has excluded people charged and
convicted of physical sabotage actions "deplored by all the nations across the
world", including espionage, setting fire to banks and damaging public
properties.
"Crimes, such as espionage and setting fire to banks are so deplorable that
people charged with such offenses are usually forced to commit suicide under
mental and psychological pressures," Fat'hee maintained.
However, avoiding any reference to Iranian dual nationals currently behind bars
in the Islamic Republic, Fat'hee did not elaborate on the reasons and the
timing for the new motion 39 years after the Islamic Revolution in the country.
Many western countries have warned their Iranian dual citizens to stay away
from their homeland, lest they be arrested.
Currently, an unknown number of Iranians with dual citizenship are sentenced to
long prison terms, charged with espionage for the so-called "enemies" of the
state.
If the new motion does not extend the amnesty to alleged cases of espionage,
dual citizens would be reluctant to return to Iran.
Following the United States withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran is under
diplomatic and financial pressures, which could be the driving force behind the
proposed amnesty. Such a move can both put Iran under a better light
internationally and also might entice diaspora compatriots to make investments
in the country.
As a matter of fact, Fat'hee has insisted that the new motion "Will hopefully
reduce the international pressure on Tehran concerning the fate of Iranians
with dual citizenship who are currently kept mainly in Tehran's notorious
prison, Evin."
As a legislator, Fat'hee insists, "We should give the green light to the 6-7
million Iranians living overseas. Iranian diaspora enjoys having significant
assets and expertise that people inside Iran have been so far deprived of."
But Iran is among the countries with highest number of executions, which have
included political opponents.
Internal and international civil rights activists say that human rights in Iran
have been systematically violated during almost 4 decades of theocracy to the
extent that the UN has assigned a special rapporteur to monitor the human
rights situation in the country.
Most of the political, ethnic rights activists detained in Iran are generally
convicted of vaguely defined charges, including "action against national
security" and "anti-system propaganda".
In the new double emergency motion, according Fat'hee, political and ethnic
rights activists will be pardoned.
The double emergency motion, if passed by the parliament, requires the Guardian
Council's (GC) ratification to become a law.
GC is totally dominated by ultra-conservative elements with its most
influential members directly appointed by the Islamic Republic's Supreme
Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to Fat'hee, the new double emergency motion is expected to be tabled
next week.
Source: radiofarda.com, June 15, 2018
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