International Standards of Human Rights and Imprisonment for Inability to Fulfil a Contractual Obligation in Iran

Arising from the nature of international law, there is a general duty to bring internal law into conformity with obligations under international law. Islamic Republic of Iran as a contracting State of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), internationally accepted that “no one shall be imprisoned merely on the ground of inability to fulfil a contractual obligation”. Although that is a non-derogable right, but it appears that the Iranian “Legal Enforcement of Pecuniary Condemnations Act (1998)” is in itself a breach of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is certain that Iran can not rely on her own legislation to limit the scope of her international obligations.