|
IRAN - New bill approved by parliament to punish collaborating with “hostile groups”
June 30, 2025: June 30, 2025 - IRAN. New bill approved by Iran’s parliament to increase the punishment for collaborating with the US, Israel and “hostile groups”
Death penalty for a wide range of offences.
Expressing deep concern about the likelihood of arbitrary and mass executions under this law, Iran Human Rights warns about the possible execution of defendants previously sentenced to death on charges of espionage for Israel.
Ahmadreza Djalali, Afshin Ghorbani Meishani, Shahin Bassami and Rouzbeh Vadi are at imminent risk of execution. The cases of Naser Bekrzadeh and Shahin Vasaf have been referred back to the same judge for retrial, and they are at risk of being resentenced to death.
A wave of arrests targeting activists and members of the Jewish and Baháʼí minorities has begun, and political prisoners, including Motahareh Goonei and Arghavan Fallahi have been transferred from Evin Prison to undisclosed locations, with no information available about their whereabouts.
Iran state media have reported the arrest of 700 individuals on charges of espionage. This is while IHRNGO research shows the number of arrests during this period exceeds 1000. The majority of detainees are individuals whose mobile devices were searched during stop-and-search operations, when content such as footage of Israeli military actions were reportedly discovered.
As well as espionage, their charges cover a wide range of offences, including “distributing provocative and insulting material, supporting Israel, disturbing public opinion, defaming and destroying the image of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, online propaganda in favour of Israel, creating fear and disturbing the mental peace of the public, media support for Israel, insulting the status of martyrs, and disrupting the mental security of society.”
IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “We are deeply concerned about prisoners who have been transferred to unknown locations without any oversight in the days following the start of the war and who are at risk of torture or execution. The imminent danger of execution for Ahmadreza Djalali and other detainees accused of espionage is very real, and we urge the international community, especially European countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic, to do everything in their power to save the lives of these prisoners.”
The details of a new law passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) titled “Bill to Intensify the Punishment of Spies and Collaborators with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States,” which was recently published by state media, have raised concerns among legal experts and human rights activists about the expansive use of the death penalty for a broad range of offences.
Article 1 of the bill states: “Any intelligence or espionage activity, or operational action for the Zionist regime or hostile states, including the United States of America or other regimes and hostile groups, or on behalf of any of their affiliated agents, that is against the country's security or national interests, shall be considered efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) and is subject to the punishment stipulated at the beginning of Article 286 of the 2013 Islamic Penal Code.”
In effect, any accusation of contact with opposition groups or foreign governments may result in the death penalty. As confessions are the most common method of proving guilt and Iran’s judiciary does not adhere to due process and fair trial standards, any defendant can be forced to confess under torture and sentenced to death in the show trials of Revolutionary Courts.
Furthermore, any communication with foreign media could be considered efsad-fil-arz or punished by discretionary custodial sentences, according to Article 4 of the new bill.
Article 4: “Any action or collaboration in carrying out political, cultural, media, or propaganda activities; fabricating or amplifying artificial damages; or preparing or publishing false news or any content that typically leads to public fear and panic, division, or harm to national security, if not considered efsad-fil-arz, shall be, at the discretion of the court, punishable by third-degree discretionary imprisonment and permanent dismissal from public and governmental services.
Additionally, sending videos or images to hostile or foreign networks which, upon publication, typically weaken public morale, create division, or damage national security, will result in fifth-degree discretionary imprisonment and permanent dismissal from public service. Participation in illegal marches or gatherings during wartime will carry fourth-degree discretionary imprisonment.”
Furthermore, according to Article 5, “The use, possession, purchase, sale, import, or provision of unlicensed internet communication devices such as Starlink is prohibited and will be punishable by sixth-degree discretionary imprisonment and confiscation of the equipment.”
Moreover, fatwas (religious decrees) from Shi’ite religious authorities, including Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, have been published by state media, which declare threatening the Leader of the Islamic Republic to be an example of moharebeh (enmity against God), a charge punishable by the death penalty.
As well as a new wave of arrests of Baha’i citizens, at least four Western tourists have been arrested for espionage charges and Afghan nationals are being arrested and deported at an unprecedented rate.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/7693/ (Source: IHR)
|
