Parliament Approves Iran's Accession to the Convention Against Organized Crime

Members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly approved a bill for Iran's accession to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. According to a report on Wednesday (January 24), the bill was passed in a public session of the parliament with 132 votes in favor, 80 against, and 10 abstentions from a total of 226 representatives present in the chamber. This bill includes combating crimes such as human trafficking and drug trafficking, and the interpretation of 'terrorist groups' in this bill was a controversial topic that sparked various opinions in the parliament. Opponents argued that they believe this bill is an 'instrument of the ruling system and contrary to the constitution' and spoke of the necessity to reject the bill by linking it to human rights issues. These opponents also expressed concern that the U.S. recognizes Hezbollah as a terrorist group and drug trafficker, worrying about the impact of the UN convention on the designation of Hezbollah. Shahbaz Hassanpour Beiglari, a representative from Sirjan and Bardasir, supported the bill, stating that it could allow for 'supporting Hezbollah' and added that 'the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be empowered to participate in all international conventions as our presence diminishes the presence of imperialism.' 'Imperialism' is a term used in the Islamic Republic's discourse to refer to Western powers. The U.S. Department of Justice has formed a fact-finding team regarding Hezbollah's alleged activities in drug trafficking and money laundering. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, has denied these accusations. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, responded to this concern by stating that 'Iran has emphasized that the terrorist groups referred to are ISIS,' and added, 'Currently, the U.S. designates Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorists, which Iran does not accept, but the bill states that groups fighting against colonial domination are not considered terrorists by us.' He continued, 'We are already being sanctioned, and we do not accept the issue, so the constitutional objection does not apply because we have officially stated that we do not consider groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, which are active against colonialism, as terrorists. Therefore, organized crime in the context of the bill is a different discussion related to issues like ISIS, so we must utilize our capacities and will not listen where we do not accept the discussion.' Ali Tayebnia, Iran's Minister of Economy, also stated that without cooperation with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), even with the lifting of nuclear sanctions, there would still be no possibility for international banking transactions for Iran. It seems that the Islamic Consultative Assembly, considering the approaching date of the FATF meeting, has granted permission for the government to join the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The FATF, which combats money laundering and terrorist financing globally, had previously requested Iran to implement necessary reforms in this area, particularly addressing shortcomings in combating money laundering and terrorist financing. After an agreement between Iranian Central Bank officials and this group in July 2016 regarding combating money laundering and terrorism, the group announced that it had suspended the restrictions on Iran's monetary and financial system for 12 months. This group extended this deadline again in July of this year. In its report, the FATF indicated that the deadline for Iran's 'action plan' would end on January 31, 2018, and mentioned that it would review Tehran's progress in this area in a February 2018 meeting and make necessary decisions. The FATF also warned that until all aspects of the 'action plan' are implemented in Iran, the country will remain on the FATF's public list. According to the sole article of this bill, the Iranian government has been granted permission to join this convention with several conditions. Among these conditions is the interpretation and implementation of the convention's provisions, including Articles 2, 3, 5, 10, and 23, based on 'domestic laws and regulations, especially constitutional principles.' The representatives of the parliament also approved that Tehran would not consider itself obligated to arbitration or the International Court of Justice regarding any disputes arising from the interpretation or implementation of the convention's provisions concerning Articles 2 and 35. The parliament deemed referral of disputes to arbitration or the International Court of Justice as 'possible only in accordance with the provisions of Article 139 of the Constitution' of the Islamic Republic. Among other conditions set by the parliament, this article states that Iran will 'decide on the basis of Articles 15, 16, and 18 of the convention regarding cooperation in extradition or judicial assistance, as appropriate.' According to the approval of the parliament representatives, from the perspective of the Islamic Republic, 'this convention will not undermine the legitimate and recognized right of nations or groups under colonial and foreign occupation to fight against aggression and occupation and to exercise the right to self-determination.' The Islamic Consultative Assembly also emphasized that 'accepting this convention does not mean recognizing' Israel.