Universal Jurisdiction of Iranian Courts in International Criminal Law

The pinciple of universal jurisdiction, applied in international criminal law for many years, can complement international justice as an important mechanism. In addition to complementing the jurisdiction of international criminal courts, universal jurisdiction guarantees the widest jurisdiction for national courts to deal with important international crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, on the premiss that these crimes harm international public order. Three essential steps are needed to implement this principle: the existence of a specific context for universal jurisdiction, a clear definition of crime and its elements, and national law-enforcement procedures that allow national judicial authorities to exercise jurisdiction over these crimes. Therefore, national courts can exercise universal jurisdiction only when the government has enacted legislation which authorizes its application. The main question in the present study is how can Iranian courts exercise universal jurisdiction, and what kind of universal jurisdiction does Iran believe in? The answer can be found in both general (Articles 3 and 9 of the Penal Code) and special laws (such as the Bill on International Crimes). The current study applies a descriptive-analytical approach to investigate the principle of universal jurisdiction, the Islamic Penal Code, and other relevant laws to clarify the universal jurisdiction of the Iranian courts regarding international criminal law.