In response to the high rates of abortion in Iran, the judiciary-affiliated news agency 'Mizan' interviewed a 'criminal law expert' discussing punitive measures regarding abortion. According to Mohammad Mahdi Jafari-Zadeh, the issue of abortion can be examined from two perspectives in law: 'one regarding the payment of diyah' as specified in Article 556 of the Islamic Penal Code, and the other from the 'punitive aspect of the crime' concerning the status of the 'offender.' The interview emphasized that 'according to Article 623 of the Islamic Penal Code, anyone who causes an abortion through medication can be sentenced to imprisonment from 6 months to 1 year, and if they guide another person to have an abortion, they face 3 to 6 months in prison. If the individual is a doctor, midwife, or pharmacist, they can be sentenced to 2 to 5 years in prison.' However, the poor economic conditions and social issues in recent years have led to an increase in abortion rates in Iran. In this context, in November 2021, Amir Hossein Bankipur, head of the Special Commission on Population and Family Excellence in Parliament, announced that the daily abortion rate in Iran is close to 2,000 cases, amounting to 700,000 annually. In May 2022, the news agency 'Fars' quoted Mohammad Tajik, head of the Population Working Group at the Expediency Discernment Council, stating that the number of induced abortions in the country is approximately 530,000 annually. Pegah Bani Hashemi stated to Voice of America, 'Iran is facing an uncontrolled and terrifying rise in abortion.' She emphasized, '2,000 abortions daily in Iran is horrifying, and abortion has always been criminalized in Iranian law, yet it continues to occur because the promised support for childbirth has not materialized.' Bani Hashemi pointed out the Islamic Republic's incentivizing policies for childbirth, stating, 'Many relied on this law to have children, but the promises were not fulfilled, and economic problems have worsened.' This legal expert added, 'Restrictive laws and economic conditions and class divides have threatened women's health, forcing many to undergo abortions in illegal clinics and even at home.' Voice of America recently aired a special program on the issue of abortion in Iran. This program can be watched here. Sharareh Mahboudi: Criminalizing abortion in Iran leads to underground abortion disasters. Laleh Mehrad: Unsafe abortions jeopardize women's mental and physical health. Special program: Criminalization of abortion. Reza Saidi: Criminalizing abortion endangers women's health. Consequences of implementing the 'Youth Population' law; over 100 cases of 'illegal abortion' sent to judicial authorities.
Judiciary Prepares to Address 'Abortion'; Imprisonment for Doctors, 'Diyah' for Mothers
The Iranian judiciary is intensifying its stance on abortion, proposing prison sentences for doctors and financial penalties for mothers. This comes amid rising abortion rates attributed to economic hardship and unmet government promises regarding childbirth support.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Iranian judiciary is proposing stricter penalties for abortion, including imprisonment for medical professionals and financial penalties for mothers. This comes in response to rising abortion rates attributed to economic challenges and unmet government support for childbirth.
- Daily abortion rate in Iran is approximately 2,000 cases.
- Legal penalties for abortion include imprisonment for medical professionals and financial compensation (diyah) for mothers.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Abortion is heavily restricted in Iran, yet economic difficulties have led to a significant increase in the number of abortions, often performed illegally.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%