Urgent Proposal Submitted to Iranian Parliament for General Amnesty and Immunity for Iranians Abroad

A member of the Iranian Parliament has announced an urgent proposal for a general amnesty for political and security defendants, granting judicial immunity to Iranians abroad, and reducing death penalties and life imprisonment sentences. Mohammad Javad Fathi, a member of the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Iranian Parliament, stated on Wednesday, June 13, that this proposal has been submitted to the Parliament's leadership with over seventy signatures. He noted that 'general amnesty is within the powers of the legislator, and just as the legislator can determine criminal titles, they can also issue amnesty orders for certain punishments.' Therefore, the proposal includes provisions for those convicted and accused of political and security crimes to benefit from the general amnesty. However, Fathi emphasized that there are exceptions and conditions, including 'physical sabotage actions such as burning banks and attacking public property, as well as espionage,' as espionage is 'considered very reprehensible by all nations, and its perpetrators are often driven to suicide under psychological pressure.' The high number of arrests of critics and opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran and severe punishments against them, including long prison sentences and even executions, have placed Iran among countries where human rights are widely and systematically violated, to the extent that the United Nations has appointed a special rapporteur on this issue in recent years. Fathi also mentioned that the proposal includes provisions that Iranians abroad would be 'immune from prosecution and harassment' upon their return to Iran, provided they do not have private complainants. He explained, 'One might ask whether the entry of Iranians residing abroad into the country is a crime. It is not a crime, but due to toxic propaganda, they have the perception that they may face problems upon returning after several years.' Fathi added, 'I think as legislators, we should show this green light to six to seven million Iranians abroad, as among them are specialists and significant assets that the people have been deprived of their expertise, thoughts, and investments.' These statements come as Western countries have repeatedly warned their dual citizens regarding travel to Iran due to frequent arrests. The Islamic Republic has currently sentenced several dual citizens to long prison terms on charges such as 'acting against national security' and even 'espionage,' leading to diplomatic disputes with other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The urgent proposal from some members of the Iranian Parliament also includes a provision to reduce death penalties and life imprisonment sentences to twenty to thirty years of imprisonment. Fathi stated, 'Based on jurisprudential laws, we believe that punitive measures should not include death and life imprisonment and must be lighter than fixed punishments. This is a legal flaw in ordinary laws that have considered death and life imprisonment for punitive crimes. Therefore, we proposed that all cases with death and life imprisonment sentences be reduced to first-degree punitive sentences of twenty to thirty years of imprisonment.' The member of Parliament then expressed hope that the approval of this proposal would reduce the international pressures faced by the Islamic Republic due to high execution rates. Iran has one of the highest execution rates in the world, partly related to drug offenses. Under the new anti-drug law, the death penalty for some convicted of drug-related crimes has been eliminated, with imprisonment and fines replacing it, which could reduce the execution rates in the country. However, even if this urgent proposal is approved by the Parliament, it must pass through the Guardian Council, which is dominated by conservatives and hardliners. Mohammad Javad Fathi mentioned that this proposal is likely to be discussed in Parliament next week.