Iranian MP Calls for Revision of Laws to Reduce Number of Prisoners

Iranian lawmaker Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi has blamed Iran’s laws and regulations for failing to prevent judges from granting arrest warrants at will and under any circumstances, urging that such authority, which has caused a remarkable increase the number of prisoners, must be taken away from them.

According to a Farsi report by ICANA, pointing to the growing number of the country’s prisoners, Rahimi Jahanabadi said this has turned into a major social ill.

This is while, he added, prions were supposed to be places for the repentance of criminals, a function they have failed to serve.

He said at present, the large number of prisoners and the issue of managing them have, per se, become a social harm in the Iranian society.

Rahimi Jahanabadi noted that revising the laws and regulations is among the measures which can lead to a decrease in the number of detainees, adding, thus, imprisonment can be replaced by social punishments to bring the number of prisoners down.

“Such punitive measures reduce the number of damages and harms being in prison can cause to the prisoners, enable criminals to be in constant touch with their families and shield their families from probable harms and damages of them being jailed.

He added using traditional methods of settling disputes is another measure conducive to a decrease in the number of prisoners.

“The truth is that not all cases are required to be handled by judicial courts and lead to incarceration. Iran’s history shows that people’s trustees, the country’s clerics and the elders of the society played a very significant role in resolving disputes. Currently, despite the creation of dispute settlement councils in the country, Iran’s Judiciary has failed to play a significant role in solving disputes.”

He said the present laws and regulations give Iranian judges unrestricted authority to imprison individuals, adding whereas, such a privilege is required to be withdrawn.

“Judges should not be authorized to issue arrest warrant under any circumstances. In addition, laws and regulations are required to be revised in a way that imprisonment is used as a measure of last resort.”