The Expansion of the Phenomenon of 'False Witnesses' in Iranian Courts

'Young Journalists Club' has reported on the expansion of an 'organized emerging phenomenon' known as 'false witnesses' in Iran, which has complicated legal proceedings with 'many complexities.' In a report published on Saturday, April 14, by this site affiliated with state television, the phenomenon of 'false witnesses' in Iranian courts was discussed. 'Young Journalists Club' stated that 'false witnesses' have various 'rates' depending on the type of case, and 'there are no ethical or value criteria for false witnesses; they only think about money.' According to the report, 'for false witnesses, it does not matter who their opponent is, nor what will happen to the plaintiff or defendant and the actual execution of justice due to false testimony.' The report mentions that 'they do not hold any human or ethical values, and apparently, some brokers have established a business for themselves through specific connections with such individuals (false witnesses).' The report also cited 'friendship' and 'family connections' as two other factors contributing to the phenomenon of 'false witnesses.' Mohammad Hossein Sakeh, a lawyer and professor at Allameh Tabatabai University, also identified 'false witnesses' as one of the problems of the judicial system. Mr. Sakeh considered 'false testimony' to be destructive for society and stated that 'this problem must be seriously addressed.' As 'Young Journalists Club' noted, 'generally, false testimony occurs in large cities like Tehran, where due to the high volume and density of the population, it is difficult to recognize individuals.' According to Article 650 of the Penal Code's punitive section, anyone who gives false testimony in court before official authorities can be sentenced to three months to two years in prison or fined. 'Organized false witnesses' operating in the judicial field can be categorized among 'judicial brokers,' whose activities have seen an unprecedented increase alongside the rising volume of cases. In Bahman of last year, Gholam Hossein Esmaili, the head of the Tehran judiciary, reported the identification and arrest of 500 'brokers' in Tehran, stating that they 'claimed to have connections with judicial authorities.' Mr. Esmaili mentioned that 'these individuals were those who claimed influence and established connections with case parties outside.' According to statements from some members of parliament and officials of the Islamic Republic, the judiciary has recently experienced a degree of 'systematic corruption.'