Procedures of differential trial for political crimes in the Iranian judicial system

Trial procedure constitutes the criteria based on which the political crimes could be distinguished from the ordinary crimes. The procedure which is prevised for the political criminal is different from those of other crimes. The practical result of years of efforts and research for discrimination of the political crimes from the ordinary crimes appears in the procedure and punishment for the political criminals. Any political criminal is granted privileges in comparison to ordinary criminals, namely from the pursuit and investigation stage to the end of duration of the sentence. According to article 168 and clauses 4 and 5 of the political crime law, the Iranian legislator had intended to discriminate between the political and the ordinary crime by prevising an especial trial procedure for the political criminals. Prevision of especial procedure for political crimes indicates that the Iranian legislator had been too soft on political convicts and suspects.