The Emergence of Political Crime Concept

At the early stages of the formation of human developed societies, penal reactions to political crimes were mainly within the protection sphere provided for the sovereign as the first representation of public sovereignty. Defending collective interests was the main reason on which the survival and continuity of societies were depended. In the sense that the concept of political crime finds its meaning in interaction between the sovereignty and individual freedoms; it is considered a relative and changing notion; which means the more the scope of public liberties extend, the more possible circumstances related to committing crimes will reduce. The present article has provided a brief but inclusive historical background of the evolution of political crime, the manner in which the political criminals were treated and punished by the authorities and the current approaches taken by states toward it.