BOOK ONE- PRELIMINARY

Part One- General Articles

Chapter One- Definitions
Chapter Two- Scope of Application of Penal Laws According to Place
Chapter Three- Scope of Application of Penal Laws According to Time
Chapter Four- Legality of Crimes, Punishments and Criminal Procedures
Part Two- Punishments
Chapter One- Main Punishments
Chapter Two- Complementary and Consequential Punishments
Chapter Three- Method of Determining and Executing the Punishments
Chapter Four- Mitigation of, and Exemption from, Punishment
Chapter Five- Postponement of Deliverance of Judgment
Chapter Six- Suspension of Execution of Punishment
Chapter Seven- Regime of Half-release [open prison]
Chapter Eight- Regime of Conditional Release
Chapter Nine- Substitute Punishments for Imprisonment
Chapter Ten- Punishment and Security and Correctional Measures for Children and Young People
Chapter Eleven- Cessation of Punishment
Section One- Pardon
Section Two- Repeal of the law
Section Three- Forgiveness by complainant
Section Four- Lapse of time
Section Five- Repentance of the offender
Section Six- Application of principle of Dara
Part Three- Offenses
Chapter One- Attempt to Commit an Offense
Chapter Two- Accomplices to the Offense
Chapter Three- Accessories to the Offense
Chapter Four- Leading a Gang of Organized Criminals
Chapter Five- Multiplicity of Offenses
Chapter Six- Reoffending
Part Four- Conditions and Obstacles of Criminal Responsibility
Chapter One- Conditions of Criminal Responsibility
Chapter Two- Obstacles of Criminal Responsibility
Part Five- Evidence Rules in Criminal Cases
Chapter One- General Articles
Chapter Two- Confession
Chapter Three- Testimony

Chapter Four- Oath

Chapter Five- Knowledge of the Judge
Part Six- Miscellaneous Issues
BOOK TWO HUDUD
Part One- General Articles
Part Two- Offenses Punishable by Hadd
Chapter One- Zina
Chapter Two- Livat, Tafkhiz, and Musaheqeh
Chapter Three- Procuring/Pandering
Chapter Four- Qazf [false accusation of sexual offenses]
Chapter Five- Sabb-e nabi (Swearing at the Prophet)
Chapter Six- Consumption of Intoxicants
Chapter Seven- Theft
Chapter Eight- Moharebeh
Chapter Nine- Baqy (Rebellion) and Efsad-e-fel-arz (Corruption on Earth)
BOOK ONE- PRELIMINARY
Part One- General Articles
Chapter One- Definitions
Article 1- The Islamic Penal Code consists of crimes and punishments of hudud, qisas, diyat,tazirat,
the security and correctional measures, requirements and barriers of criminal responsibility and the
rules that apply to them.
Article 2- Any conduct, including action or omission, for which punishment is provided by law,
constitutes an offense.
Chapter Two- Scope of Application of Penal Laws According to Place
Article 3- Irans criminal laws shall apply to all persons who commit a crime within the territorial,
maritime and aerial jurisdiction of the Islamic Republic of Iran, unless otherwise provided by law.
Article 4- When part of an offense or its result occurred inside Iranian territory, the offense shall be
deemed as having been committed inside the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Article 5- Any Iranian or non-Iranian person who commits one of the following offenses, or offenses
prescribed in specific laws, outside Irans jurisdiction, shall be tried and punished in accordance with
the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and when prosecution of these crimes outside of Iran have
resulted in legal conviction and the punishment is carried out, the Iranian court, when determining
the tazir punishments, shall consider the amount of punishment which is carried out:
(a) Acting against the regime, and the internal and external security, and territorial integrity or the
independence of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(b) Forging a stamp, signature, decree, order, or handwriting of the Leader or using them.
(c)

Forging the official stamp, signature, decree, order, or handwriting of the President, Head of

Judiciary, Chairperson and Members of Islamic Consultative Assembly [Parliament], Chairperson of

Experts Assembly, Head of Supreme Court, Attorney General, Members of Guardian Council,
Chairperson and Members of Expediency Discernment Council of Regime, any of the Ministers or
Vice Presidents, or using them.
(d) Forging decisions or writs issued by judicial authorities or other legal bodies, or using them.
(e)

Counterfeiting Iranian current banknotes or the banks binding documents, and also forging

treasury bills, bonds issued or guaranteed by government, or counterfeiting coins and distributing
counterfeit current domestic coins.
Article 6- Offenses committed by Iranian or non-Iranian employees of the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran outside Iranian territory in relation to their office and duties, as well as any offense
committed by Iranian diplomats and consulate agents and other dependants of the Iranian
Government that enjoy diplomatic immunity, shall be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
Article 7- In addition to the cases mentioned in the articles above, any Iranian national who commits
a crime outside Iran and is found in, or extradited to, Iran shall be prosecuted and punished in
accordance with the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, provided that:
(a) The committed conduct is deemed an offense under the law of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(b) If the committed crime is punishable by tazir, the accused person is not tried and acquitted in
the place of the commission of the crime, or in the case of conviction the punishment is not, wholly
or partly, carried out against him.
(c)

According to Iranian laws there is no basis for removal or discontinuation of prosecution or

discontinuation or cancellation of execution of the punishment.

Article 8- When a non-Iranian person outside Iran commits a crime other than those mentioned in
previous articles against an Iranian person or the Iranian State and is found in, or extradited to, Iran,
his crime shall be dealt with in accordance with the criminal laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
provided that:
(a) In the case of crimes punishable by tazir, the accused person is not tried and acquitted in the
place of commission of the crime, or in the case of conviction, the punishment is not, wholly or partly,
carried out against him.
(b) In the case of crimes punishable by tazir, the committed conduct is deemed an offense under
the law of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the law of the place of the commission.
Article 9- Perpetrator of the offenses, which, according to a special law or international Conventions
and laws shall be prosecuted in the country that he is found, if arrested in Iran shall be prosecuted
and punished in accordance with the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Chapter Three- Scope of Application of Penal Laws According to Time
Article 10- In governmental regulations and arrangements, punishment and security and correction
measures must be in accordance with a law adopted prior to commission of the crime; and no one
who has committed any conduct including any act or omission is punishable by the law passed
subsequently. However, if, after the offense is committed, a law is passed which provides mitigation

or abolition of the punishment or security and correction measures or is favorable to the perpetrator
in some other way, it is applicable to the offenses committed prior to the passage of the law until the
final judgment is issued. In cases where a final binding judgment is issued under a previous law,
action shall be taken according to the following procedure:
(a) In case the conduct, which was an offense in the past, is not considered as an offense under a
subsequent law, the final judgment shall not be executed, and if it is in the process of execution, it
shall be suspended; and in these cases, and also in cases where the judgment has already been
executed, there shall be no criminal consequences.
(b) In case the punishment of an offense is reduced under a subsequent law, the enforcement
judge is obliged, before, or during, the execution, to ask the court which has issued the final
judgment to correct it according the subsequent law. The convict, too, may apply for the
commutation of the punishment from the issuing court. The issuing court, considering the
subsequent law, shall reduce the previous punishment. The same rules mentioned in this paragraph
shall be applicable on security and correction measures imposed on minor offenders. In such cases,
the natural or judicial guardian of [the minor offender], too, can apply for the commutation of the
security and correction measures.
Note- Unless otherwise stipulated by the subsequent law, the above mentioned provisions shall not
be applicable on laws adopted for a specific period or specific cases.
Article 11- The following laws shall be given immediate effect towards the crimes committed prior to
the adoption of the law:
(a) Laws relating to judicial structure and jurisdiction
(b) Laws relating to evidence before the judgment is executed
(c)

Laws relating to judicial procedures

(d) Laws relating to lapse of time

Note- If in the case of paragraph (a) above, a final judgment has been issued, the case shall be sent
to the court which has issued the final judgment to be reviewed.
Chapter Four- Legality of crimes, punishments and criminal procedures
Article 12- Imposing and executing a punishment or security and correctional measures shall be
carried out by a competent court and in accordance with the law and subject to conditions and
requirements specified in the law.
Article 13- Imposing and executing a punishment or security and correctional measures shall not
breach the limit and conditions specified in the law or the judgment; and any loss or damage, if
caused deliberately or negligently shall be followed by criminal and civil liability accordingly;
otherwise, the loss shall be recovered from the public treasury.
Part Two- Punishments
Chapter One- Main Punishments
Article 14- Punishments provided in this law are divided into four categories:
(a) Hadd

(b) Qisas
(c)

Diya

(d) Tazir
Note- If causality between a legal persons conduct and a loss is established, diya and damages can
be claimed. Imposing tazir punishments against legal persons shall be in accordance with article 20.
Article 15- Hadd is a punishment for which the grounds for, type, amount and conditions of
execution are specified in holy Sharia.
Article 16- Qisas is the main punishment for intentional bodily crimes against life, limbs, and abilities
which shall be applied in accordance with Book One of this law.
Article 17- Diya, whether fixed or unfixed, is monetary amount under holy Sharia which is
determined by law and shall be paid for unintentional bodily crimes against life, limbs and abilities or
for intentional crimes when for whatever reason qisas is not applicable.
Article 18- Tazir is a punishment which does not fall under the categories of hadd, qisas, or diyaand
is determined by law for commission of prohibited acts under Sharia or violation of state rules. The
type, amount, conditions of execution as well as mitigation, suspension, cancellation and other
relevant rules of tazir crimes shall be determined by law. In making decisions in tazir crimes, while
complying with legal rules, the court shall consider the following issues:
(a) The offenders motivation and his/her mental and psychological conditions when committed the
crime
(b) Method of committing the crime, extent of a breach of duty and its harmful consequences
(c)

Conduct of the offender after committing the crime

(d) The offenders personal, family, and social background and the effect of the tazir punishment on
him/her
Article 19- Tazir punishments are divided into eight degrees:
First Degree

Imprisonment for over twenty-five years

Fine of more than one billion (1,000,000,000) Rials

Confiscation of whole assets

Dissolution of the legal person

Second Degree

Imprisonment from fifteen to twenty-five years

Fine from five hundred and fifty million (550,000,000) Rials to one billion (1,000,000,000) Rials

Third Degree

Imprisonment from ten to fifteen years

Fine from three hundred and sixty million (360,000,000) Rials to fifty-five million (550,000,000)

Rials
Fourth Degree

Imprisonment from five to ten years

Fine from one hundred and eighty million (180,000,000) Rials to three hundred and sixty million

(360,000,000) Rials
Fifth Degree

Imprisonment from two to five years

Fine from eighty million (80,000,000) Rials to one hundred eighty million (180,000,000) Rials

Deprivation from social rights from five to fifteen years

Permanent ban from one or more professional or social activity (activities) for legal persons

Permanent ban from public invitation to increase the capital for legal persons

Sixth Degree

Imprisonment from six months to two years

Fine from twenty million (20,000,000) Rials to eighty million (80,000,000) Rials

Flogging from thirty-one to seventy-four lashes and up to ninety-nine lashes in indecent crimes

Deprivation from social rights from six months to five years

Publication of the final judgment in the media

Ban from one or more professional or social activity (activities) for legal persons for up to five

years

Ban from public invitation to increase the capital for legal persons for up to five years

Ban from drawing some commercial bills by legal persons for up to five years

Seventh Degree

Imprisonment from ninety-one days to six months

Fine from ten million (10,000,000) Rials to twenty (20,000,000) million Rials

Flogging from eleven to thirty lashes

Deprivation from social rights up to six months

Eighth Degree

Imprisonment up to three months

Fine up to ten million (10,000,000) Rials

Flogging up to ten lashes

Note 1- The cases of deprivation of social rights are the same as referred to under consequential
punishments.
Note 2- Any punishment for which its minimum amount does not fit into any one of the
abovementioned degrees and its maximum fits into a higher degree shall be regarded as the higher
degree.
Note 3- In the event of multiplicity of the punishments, the most severe punishment, and, if it is not
possible to determine the most severe punishment, the length of the imprisonment, shall be the
determining factor. Also, if a punishment does not fit into any of the abovementioned eight sections,
it shall be regarded as seventh degree.
Note 4- The sections of this article and its notes are only aimed to classify the punishments and shall
have no effect on the minimum and maximum of the punishments provided in the current laws.

Note 5- Confiscation of the property and the objects that are used, or aimed to use, as the
instrument of committing the offense, shall fall outside of this article and paragraph (b) of article 20
and shall be dealt with in accordance with article 215 of this law. In any event that an order of
confiscation of properties is issued, reasonable living costs of the convict and their dependants must
be excluded from confiscation.
Article 20- If a legal person is held responsible under article 143 of this law, considering the severity
of the crime and its harmful consequences, it shall be sentenced to one or two of the following,
although this shall not prevent punishing the natural person:
(a) Dissolution of the legal person
(b) Confiscation of all properties
(c)

Ban from one or more social or professional activity (activities) permanently or for up to five

years
(d) Ban from public invitation to increase the capital for legal persons permanently or for up to five
years
(e)

Ban from drawing some commercial bills for up to five years

(f)

Fine

(g) Publication of the convicting judgment in the media

Note- The punishment provided in this article shall not be applied on governmental bodies or public
or non-governmental entities that implement the state administration.
Article 21- The fine applicable on legal persons shall be from two times up to four times of the
amount provided by law for committing the same price by natural persons.
Article 22- Dissolution of a legal person and confiscation of its properties shall be given when it has
been established to commit a crime or if it has changed its direction exclusively towards committing
crimes despite its initial lawful goals.
Chapter Two- Complementary and Consequential Punishments
Article 23- Considering the requirements provided in this law and proportionate to the committed
crime and character of the offender, the court can sentence a person who has been sentenced
tohadd, qisas, or tazir punishments from sixth to first degree, to one or more punishment(s) from the
following complementary punishments:
(a) Compulsory residence in a specified place
(b) Ban from residing in (a) specified place(s)
(c)

Ban from holding a specified profession, career or job

(d) Dismissal from governmental and public offices

(e)

Ban from driving or operating motor vehicles

(f)

Ban from having a checkbook or drawing commercial bills

(g) Ban from carrying a gun

(h) Ban from leaving the country for Iranian citizens
(i)

Deportation of foreign nationals

(j)

Providing public services

(k) Ban from membership of political or social parties and groups

(l)

Seizure of the means for commission of the offense or the media or organization involved in

commission of the offense

(m)

Compulsory learning of a specified profession, career, or job

(n)

Compulsory education

(o)

Publication of the final judgment

Note 1- The complementary punishment shall not exceed more than two years unless otherwise
provided by law.
Note 2- If the complementary punishment and main punishment are of the same type, only the main
punishment shall be given.
Note 3- The regulations of the conditions of execution of complementary punishments shall be
prepared by the Minister of Justice and approved by the Head of Judiciary within six months after
this law is enforceable.
Article 24- If the convict does not comply with the content of the judgment during the period of
execution of the complementary punishment, the trial court, upon the proposal of the judge in charge
of execution of judgments, shall increase the period of the complementary punishment up to one
third in the first occasion, and if it is repeated, shall replace the remaining period with either
imprisonment or fine of the seventh or eighth degree. In addition, after half of the period of the
complementary punishment is passed, upon the proposal of the judge in charge of execution of the
judgment and provided that there is confidence that the convict is corrected and will not repeat the
crime, the court can remove or reduce the period of his complementary punishment.
Article 25- Final criminal conviction of intentional crimes after the sentence was executed or
subjected to lapse of time, shall deprive the convict from social rights as a consequential punishment
during the period provided in this article:
(a) Seven years from the date the execution of the main punishment is stopped, in the case of
sentences of deprivation of life and life imprisonments
(b) Three years in the case of sentences of limb amputation, qisas of limb if the diya of the suffered
injury exceeds half of the victims diya, banishment, and imprisonment of the fourth degree
(c)

Two years in the case of sentences of hadd flogging, qisas of limb if the diya of the suffered

injury is half or less than half of the victims diya, and imprisonment of the fifth degree
Note 1- In cases other than those mentioned above, the conviction shall be recorded in the convicts
criminal record but shall not be reflected in the certificates issued by the relative authorities unless
requested by judicial bodies in order to determine or review the sentence.
Note 2- In the case of forgivable crimes, if the execution of the sentence is discontinued because of
forgiveness by the complainant or private claimant, the consequential effects shall be removed as
well.

Note 3- In the case of pardon and conditional release, the consequential effects shall be removed
after the passage of the abovementioned periods from the date of pardon or the end of conditional
release. The convict shall be deprived from social rights during the period of conditional release as
well as during the execution of the sentence.
Article 26- Social rights referred to in this law are:
(a) Right to become a candidate in the elections for Presidency, Assembly of Experts of the
Leadership, Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis), and City and Villages Councils
(b) Membership in the Guardian Council and Expediency Discernment Council or the Cabinet and
being appointed as the Deputy of the President
(c)

To become the Head of Judiciary, Public Prosecutor of the State, President of the Supreme

Court, President of the Court of Administrative Justice

(d) Membership in all societies, councils, parties, and associations either through public elections or
by virtue of law
(e)

Membership in juries and boards of trustees and Reconciliation Councils

(f)

Holding an editorial or supervisory job in public media

(g) To be employed in all state bodies, including the three branches of power and their dependant
companies and institutes, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, armed forces and other organs
under the supervision of the Leader, municipalities, public services institutes, and departments that
their names should be stipulated in order to be included in the law
(h) To become and function as an attorney at law and manager, and assistant, of a notary public
and marriage and divorce registry offices
(i)

To be elected as a guardian, trustee, administrator, overseer, or operator of public endowments

(j)

To be elected as an arbitrator and expert in official bodies

(k) To use state medals and medallions and honorary titles

(l)

To establish, manage, or membership, in the board of directors of governmental, cooperative,

and private companies or to register a commercial name or an educational, research, cultural or

scientific institute
Note 1- If servants of state departments have been deprived of social rights, whether as a main or
complementary or consequential punishment, shall be suspended from the service for the period
provided in the judgment or law, whichever is the case.
Note 2- Anyone who has been deprived of social rights as a consequential punishment, shall be
rehabilitated after the lapse of the periods provided in article (25) of this law and the consequential
effects shall be removed unless in the cases of paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this article in which
cases the deprivation is permanent.
Chapter Three- Method of Determining and Executing the Punishments
Article 27- The period of imprisonment starts from the day on which the convict is imprisoned in
accordance with a final and enforceable judgment. If the individual, due to charge(s) brought against
him in the case, has been detained before the judgment was issued, the time he has spent in

detention shall be calculated in the sentence. If the sentence given in the judgment is a tazir
flogging or a fine, every day in detention shall be [calculated] as three lashes or three hundred
thousand (300,000) Rials. If the punishment[s] are multiple, they shall be calculated in order, first the
imprisonment, then the flogging and then the fine.
Article 28- All the amounts of money referred to in this law and other laws including fines, shall be
modified every three years upon the proposal of the Minister of Justice and adoption of the Cabinet,
according to the rate of inflation announced by the Central Bank; and it shall be enforceable on the
judgments that will be issued afterwards.
Article 29- When a detention which is alternative to a fine is together with an imprisonment, such
alternative detention shall be started from the date the imprisonment ends; it shall not exceed the
maximum imprisonment provided for the same crime, and an alternative detention to a fine shall not
exceed three years in any event.
Article 30- A ban from holding a specified profession, career or job shall require revocation of the
license of the same profession, career or job, provided that the crime is committed as a result of
[that] profession, career or job or if it has facilitated the commission of the crime.
Article 31- A ban from driving and operating motor vehicles shall require revocation of the driving
license and ban from a new application.
Article 32- A ban from drawing checks shall require nullification of the blank checks of the
checkbook and blocking of the current account and ban from new application for opening a current
account.
Article 33- A ban from carrying a permitted gun shall require revocation of the permission of carrying
a gun and also seizure of the gun.
Article 34- A ban from leaving the country for Iranian citizens shall require revocation of the passport
and ban from a new application.
Article 35- Temporary or permanent deportation of condemned foreign nationals shall be carried out
after the sentence is executed and in accordance with the courts decision.
Article 36- Court judgments regarding the final conviction of hadd crimes of moharebeh andefsad-e
fel-arz, or tazir crimes of up to the fourth degree, and also fraud of more than one billion
(1,000,000,000) Rials, if not considered against the public order or security, shall be publicized once
in a local newspaper.
Note- Publication of a judgment of a final conviction is mandatory in the following crimes in which the
subject of the crime is valued at one billion (1,000,000,000) Rials or more; and it shall be publicized
in the national broadcasting or one of the widely circulated newspapers:
(a) Paying and receiving a bribe
(b) Embezzlement
(c)

Unlawful and undue influence in cases where the offender or a third party has gained property

from the offense

(d) Intervention of Ministers and Members of Parliament and civil servants in governmental and
state contracts
(e)

Conspiracy in governmental contracts

(f)

Receiving commission/percentage for foreign contracts

(g) Infringements of civil servants against the government

(h) Customs offenses
(i)

Trafficking of goods and foreign exchanges

(j)

Tax offenses

(k) Money laundering

(l)

Disruption of economic order of the country

(m)

Unlawful possession of public or state properties

Chapter Four- Mitigation of, and exemption from, Punishment

Article 37- If there is one, or more, mitigating factor(s), the court may mitigate or replace the tazir
punishment as explained below in a way which is in the interest of the accused:
(a) Reducing the imprisonment period from one to three degree(s)
(b) Replacing the confiscation of properties with a fine of the first to fourth degree
(c)

Replacing the permanent dismissal to temporary suspension from five to fifteen years

(d) Reducing one or two degrees of the same or other types of punishments for other tazir
punishments
Article 38- Mitigating factors are:
(a) Forgiveness by complainant or private claimant
(b) Effective cooperation of the accused in recognition of accomplices and accessories to the
offense and in finding the proceeds of the offense or discovering the properties and goods resulted
from, or the means used in commission of, the offense
(c)

Specific circumstances under the influence of which the accused has committed the offense;

such as: inflammatory conduct or talk of the victim or honorable motive for committing the offense
(d) Statement of the accused prior to prosecution, or his/her effective confession during
investigation and prosecution
(e)

Regret, good reputation or specific condition of the accused such as his/her age or illness

(f)

Efforts by the accused in order to reduce the effects of the offense and his/her measures to

compensate the loss resulting from it

(g) When the loss imposed to the victim of the offense or the consequences of the offense are
slight
(h) Slight contribution of accomplice or accessory to the offense in commission of the offense
Note 1 -The court must stipulate the mitigating factors in its judgment.
Note 2 -If the same mitigating factors as mentioned in this article are provided in specific articles, the
court may not mitigate the punishment again for the same mitigating factors.

Article 39- In tazir crimes of the seventh and eighth degree, when mitigating factors are recognized,
if the court finds the accused guilty but believes that the offender will be corrected even without
execution of the punishment, provided that s/he has no effective criminal record and the complainant
has forgiven the offender and the losses are already compensated or appropriate measures are
taken to compensate the loss, the court may decide to exempt the offender from punishment.
Chapter Five- Postponement of Deliverance of Judgment
Article 40- In tazir offenses of the sixth to eighth degree, after the accused is found guilty, the court,
subject to the following conditions and considering his/her personal, family, and social conditions and
backgrounds and the circumstances that resulted in commission of the offense, may postpone the
deliverance of the judgment from six to two years:
(a) Existence of mitigating factors
(b) Foreseeable correction of the offender
(c)

Compensation of, or taking appropriate measures to compensate, the loss

(d) Lack of effective criminal record

Note- An effective conviction is a conviction that deprives the convict from social rights following the
execution of the sentence in accordance with article 25 of this law.
Article 41- Postponement [of deliverance of the judgment] has two forms: simple and supervised.
(a) In simple postponement, the offender shall promise in writing that in the period determined by
the court, s/he will not commit any crime, and it is believed from his/her behavior that s/he will not
commit any crime in the future too.
(b) In supervised postponement, in addition to the conditions mentioned for simple postponement,
the offender promises to comply with and execute the orders and measures set by the court during
the period of postponement.
Note 1- The court cannot issue the warrant of postponement of deliverance of judgment in absentia.
Note 2- If the accused is in custody, the court, after issuing the warrant of postponement of
deliverance of judgment, shall immediately order his/her release. In such cases the court can obtain
an appropriate guarantee. In any event, however, obtaining the guarantee shall not result in
detention of the offender.
Article 42- In supervised postponement the following measures shall be taken:
(a) On-time attendance at the time and place determined by the judicial authority or the supervisory
social worker.
(b) Providing the required information and documents in order to facilitate the supervision of the
social worker over the compliance of the convict with his/her obligations
(c)

Declaring any change of job, residence, or relocation within fifteen days and providing the

report to the social worker

(d) Application to the judicial authority for permission for travelling abroad
Note- The abovementioned measures can be accompanied by the court with some supportive
measures such as referral of the offender to support organizations.

Article 43- In supervised postponement, the court, while considering the offense committed and
characteristics of the offender and conditions of his/her life, can require the offender to carry out one
or more of the following orders during the period of postponement, provided that this will not
significantly and hugely disrupt his/her own, and his/her familys, life:
(a) Learning or holding a specific profession or job
(b) Residence or non-residence in a specific place
(c)

Treatment of an illness or rehabilitation of an addiction

(d) Payment of nafaqa (allowance) to those required by law

(e)

Refraining from operating all or some motor vehicles

(f)

Refraining from professional activity relating to the offense committed or using the means of the

offense
(g) Refraining from contacting and associating with accomplices and accessories to the offense or
other people such as the victim of the offense at the discretion of the court
(h) Attending (a) special program(s) for training and learning basic skills for life or participating in
training, ethical, religious, educational or sport classes
Article 44- If the offender commits a hadd or qisas crime or intentional crimes punishable
by diyaor tazir of up to the seventh degree during the period of postponement, then the court shall
cancel the warrant of postponement and deliver the judgment of conviction. In the case of noncompliance with the court orders, the court, for one time, can either add to the period of
postponement up to half of the time determined in the warrant, or deliver the judgment of conviction.
Note- When the warrant of postponement is canceled and judgment of conviction delivered, then it is
forbidden to issue a writ of suspension of execution of punishment.
Article 45- After the period of postponement ends, considering the level of the offenders compliance
with the court orders, reports of the social worker and taking into account the conditions of the
offender, the court shall either sentence or exempt the offender from punishment.
Chapter Six- Suspension of Execution of Punishment
Article 46- In tazir crimes of the third to eighth degree, the court can suspend execution of all or
part of the punishment from one to five years, subject to the [same] requirements provided for
postponement of deliverance of judgment. Also, the public prosecutor or judge in charge of
execution of criminal judgments, after execution of one third of the punishment, can ask the court to
suspend [execution of the punishment]. Also, the convict, after spending one third of the punishment,
subject to legal requirements, can request suspension through the Public Prosecutor or Prosecutor
in charge of execution of criminal judgments.
Article 47- Deliverance of judgment and execution of punishment shall not be postponed or
suspended in the following offenses and attempts to commit them:
(a) Offenses against the domestic and foreign security of the country, destruction of water,
electricity, gas, oil, and telecommunication facilities.
(b) Organized crimes, armed robbery or robbery that involves assault, abduction, and acid attack

(c)

Flaunting strength and disturbing people by resorting to knives or any other weapon, offenses

against public chastity, the establishment or management of places for corruption and prostitution
(d) Large-scale smuggling of narcotic or psychedelic drugs, alcoholic beverages, guns and
ammunition, and human trafficking
(e)

Tazir punishments alternative to qisas of life, accessory to murder, moharebeh andefsad-e fel-

arz
(f)

Economic offenses if the subject of the crime is valued over one hundred million (1,000,000)

Rials
Article 48- Suspension of execution of judgment, subject to the [same] provisions provided for
postponement of deliverance of judgment, can take two forms: simple and supervised.
Article 49- Writ of suspension of execution of punishment shall be issued by the court within the
judgment of conviction or after that. Anyone, whose execution of punishment has been wholly
suspended, if s/he is in custody, shall be released immediately.
Article 50- If a convict whose punishment has been suspended, without a reasonable excuse does
not comply with the court orders during the period of suspension, the court of the final judgment,
upon the proposal of the public prosecutor or the judge in charge of execution of judgments, can add
one to two years to the period of suspension or cancel the writ of suspension for the first time. Noncompliance with the court orders for the second time shall result in cancellation of the writ of
suspension and execution of the punishment.
Article 51- Suspension of execution of punishment shall have no effect on the rights of the private
claimant and the decision requiring payment of damages or diya shall be executed in such cases.
Article 52- If the convict does not commit any intentional offense punishable by hadd, qisas, diya, or
tazir of up to the seventh degree, then the suspended punishment shall be ineffective.
Article 53- If part of the punishment, or one of the punishments, given in the judgment is suspended,
the period of suspension shall begin from the date the execution of the un-suspended punishment
ends.
Note- In cases where, according to administrative and employment laws, a criminal record results in
dismissal, in the case of suspension, a suspended conviction shall not result in dismissal, unless
[otherwise] stipulated in the law or if the writ of suspension is cancelled.
Article 54- When the convict commits any of the intentional offenses punishable by hadd, qisas,diya,
or tazir of up to the seventh degree during the period from issuance of the warrant to the end of the
period of suspension, after the recent judgment becomes final the court shall cancel the writ of
suspension and issue an order of execution of the suspended conviction and also inform the court
that had issued the warrant of suspension. While issuing the warrant of suspension, the court shall
explicitly declare to the convict that if s/he commits any of the abovementioned offenses during the
suspension period, in addition to the punishment of the recent offense, the suspended punishment,
too, will be executed on him.

Article 55- If, after issuing the warrant of suspension, the court finds out that the convict had an
effective criminal record or other final convictions among which there had been a suspended
conviction, and the punishment has been suspended without taking it into account, then the court
shall cancel the warrant of suspension. Also if the public prosecutor, or the judge in charge of
execution of judgments, becomes aware of the abovementioned cases, they are obliged to ask the
court to cancel the suspension of the punishment. This article shall also apply to cases of
postponement of deliverance of judgment.
Chapter Seven- Regime of Half-release [open prison]
Article 56- The regime of half-release [open prison] is a method according to which the convict can
pursue his/her professional and educational activities, training, treatment, and the like outside of
prison while serving the imprisonment sentence. These activities shall be supervised by the Centers
of Half-release which shall be established in the Organization of Prisons and Security and
Correctional Measures.
Article 57- In tazir imprisonments of the fifth to seventh degree, subject to forgiveness of the
complainant and pledging an appropriate guarantee and promising to pursue a vocational,
professional, or educational activity or contributing in continuity of the family life, or treating an
addiction or illness which are effective in the process of rehabilitation [of the convict] or
compensation of the victim, the court of final judgment can put the convict, with his/her consent,
under the regime of half-release. Additionally, the convict can request the order of half-release while
serving his sentence, provided that s/he meets the legal requirements and the court is obliged to
consider the request.
Chapter Eight- Regime of Conditional Release
Article 58- In cases of convictions to tazir imprisonment, upon the proposal of the public prosecutor
or the judge in charge of execution of judgments, and subject to the following conditions, the
deciding court can issue the order of conditional release for convicts sentenced to more than ten
years imprisonment after half of the sentence is served, and in other cases after one-third of the
sentence is served:
(a) The convict constantly shows good behavior whilst serving his/her sentence.
(b) From the conditions and behaviors of the convict, it is predicted that s/he will not commit any
offense after being released.
(c)

The court can confirm that the convict has compensated, or has arranged to be paid, the loss or

damage contained in the judgment or agreed upon by the private claimant.

(d) The convict has not previously used conditional release.
Lapse of the abovementioned periods as well the conditions mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) of
this article, after being reported by the warden of the prison shall be approved by the judge in charge
of execution of judgments. The judge in charge of execution of judgments is obliged to consider the
prescribed periods as well as condition of the prisoner and checks whether the requirements are
met, in which case he must submit the proposal for conditional release to the court.

Article 59- The period of conditional release shall be the same as the remaining duration of the
sentence; however, the court can change its duration. In any event it cannot be less than one year
and more than five years; unless, where the remaining sentence is less than one year, in which case
the period of the conditional release shall be the same as the remaining duration of the sentence.
Article 60- Considering the circumstances in which the crime has been committed and the convicts
psychological conditions and character, the court can require the convict to comply with the [same]
orders provided in the [chapter of] postponement of deliverance of judgment during the conditional
release term. The court, in its judgment, shall state and inform the convict about the said
requirements and the consequences of non-compliance with them and also the consequences of
committing a new offense.
Article 61- If the convict, without a reasonable excuse, does not comply with the orders of the court
during the conditional release term, for the first occasion one to two years shall be added to the
conditional release term. If [non compliance with orders] is repeated or in the case of commission of
an intentional offense punishable by hadd, qisas, diya, or tazir of up to the seventh degree, then, in
addition to the punishment for the new crime, the remaining duration of the [original] sentence shall
be executed; otherwise, his/her release shall become unconditional.
Article 62- In tazir offenses of the fifth to eighth degree, subject to the [same] conditions provided
for supervised postponement [of deliverance of judgment], the court, with the convicts consent, can
put the convict under the supervision of electronic systems inside a specific area.
Note- If required, the court can put the convict subject to supervised orders or the orders provided
for supervised postponement [of deliverance of judgment].
Article 63- The relevant executive regulation on the regimes of half-release and conditional release
shall be prepared by the Organization of Prisons and Security and Correctional Measures and
adopted by the Head of Judiciary within six months from when this law comes into force.
Chapter Nine- Substitute Punishments for Imprisonment
Article 64- Substitute punishments for imprisonment include: supervised period, unpaid public
service, fine, daily fine, and deprivation of social rights, which shall be given subject to forgiveness of
the complainant and existence of mitigating factors and taking into account the type of the offense
and the circumstances in which the crime was committed and its consequences, and the convicts
age, skills, conditions, character and records, and also conditions of the victim and other
circumstances and conditions.
Note- The court, in its judgment, shall stipulate the compatibility and proportionality of the given
sentence with the requirements and conditions provided in this article. The court cannot give more
than two of the substitute punishments.
Article 65- Perpetrators of intentional offenses, whose punishments as prescribed by the law range
from ninety-one days to six months imprisonment, shall be sentenced to substitute punishments
instead of imprisonment; unless they have a criminal record in the five years prior as explained
below:

(a) More than one account of final conviction to up to six months imprisonment or a fine of more
than ten million (10,000,000) Rials or a tazir flogging
(b) One account of final conviction to more than six months imprisonment or
a hadd orqisas punishment or payment of more than one fifth of [a full] diya
Article 67- The court can sentence offenders of intentional offenses whose punishment as
prescribed by the law is from six months to one years imprisonment, to substitute punishments;
[however] if the conditions of article 66 of this law exist then giving substitute punishments for
imprisonment shall be prohibited.
Article 68- Offenders of unintentional offenses must be sentenced to substitute punishments for
imprisonment; unless, the punishment provided in law for the crime committed is more than two
years imprisonment, in which case it is at the discretion [of the court] to give a substitute punishment
for imprisonment.
Article 69- Offenders of the offenses that the type or amount of their tazir punishment is not
specified in statutory laws shall be sentenced to substitute punishments for imprisonment.
Article 70- The court, when determining the substitute punishment for the imprisonment, shall
determine the term of imprisonment as well, in order to be executed in case the substitute
punishment becomes impossible to execute or if [the offender] does not comply with the court orders
or is unable to pay the fine.
Article 71- Application of substitute punishments of imprisonment is prohibited for crimes against the
domestic or foreign security of the country.
Article 72- Multiplicity of intentional offenses for which punishment of at least one of them as
prescribed by the law is more than six months imprisonment shall prevent giving a substitute
punishment for imprisonment.
Article 73- In the case of intentional offenses, for which punishment as prescribed by the law is
more than one years imprisonment, if the punishment is mitigated to less than one year, the court
cannot give a substitute punishment for the imprisonment.
Article 74- The provisions of this chapter shall not be applicable on final judgments that are
delivered before this law comes into force.
Article 75- The fact that an imprisonment sentence is accompanied by other punishments, shall not
prevent a substitute punishment for imprisonment from being given. In such cases the court can
sentence [the offender] to the aforementioned punishments along with the substitute punishment for
imprisonment.
Article 76- The deciding factor on jurisdiction of the court and appeal against the judgment of
conviction to a substitute punishment for imprisonment shall be the [original] punishment as
prescribed by law.
Article 77- Considering the condition of the convict and circumstances and consequences of
execution of the judgment, the judge in charge of execution of judgments can propose aggravation,
mitigation, alteration, or temporary suspension of the punishment given to the issuing court. The

abovementioned judge shall be assisted by a sufficient number of social workers and supervising
officers.
Article 78- The convict, during the term of his/her conviction shall report any changes such as
change of job and place of residence which may disrupt execution of the judgment to the judge in
charge of execution of judgments.
Article 79- The types of public services and the governmental and public organizations and
departments that can receive [such services from] convicts and the process of their cooperation with
the judge in charge of execution of judgments and the convict, shall be determined in accordance
with the regulations that shall be prepared by the Ministries of Interior Affairs and Justice within three
months after this law comes into force, and after approval by the Head of Judiciary, are then adopted
by the Cabinet. Provision of this chapter shall be enforceable after the regulations referred to in this
article are adopted.
Article 80- If the convicts compliance with the judgment shows his/her correction, the court, upon
the proposal of the judge in charge of execution of judgments, [only] for one time, can reduce the
rest of the sentence up to a half.
Article 81- If the convict infringes the judgment or court orders, upon the proposal of the judge in
charge of execution of judgments and decision of the court, on the first occasion from one-quarter to
a half shall be added to the sentence given, and if repeated, the imprisonment sentence shall be
executed.
Note- The court, in its judgment, shall explicitly stipulate and inform the convict about the
consequences of compliance and infringement of the judgment. In addition, the judge in charge of
execution of judgments, while the sentence is being executed, and subject to the content of the
judgment and relevant provisions, shall determine the method of supervision and control of the
victim.
Article 82- If execution of substitute punishments for imprisonment, wholly or partly, becomes
problematic, the sentence given, or the un-executed part of it, shall be executed after the obstacle is
removed. If the obstacle is caused by a deliberate behavior of the convict in order to stop the
execution of the sentence, then the original sentence shall be executed.
Article 83- The supervised period is a period during which the convict shall be ordered, according to
the judgment of the court and under supervision of the judge in charge of execution of judgments, to
carry out one or more of the [same] orders provided [earlier] for supervised suspension as explained
below:
(a) In the case of offenses which their punishment prescribed by law is maximum three months
imprisonment, up to six months
(b) In the case of offenses which their punishment prescribed by law is from ninety one days to six
months imprisonment as well as offenses that the type or amount of their tazir punishment is not
specified in statutory laws, from six months to one year

(c)

In the case of offenses which their punishment prescribed by law is from six months to one

years [imprisonment], from one to two years

(d) In the case of unintentional offenses which their punishment prescribed by law is more than
one years [imprisonment], from two to four years
Article 84- Unpaid public services are those services that, with the consent of the convict, shall be
given in the judgment as explained below and shall be executed under the supervision of the judge
in charge of execution of judgments:
(a) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (a) of article 83, up to two hundred and seventy hours
(b) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (b) of article 83, from two hundred and seventy to five
hundred and forty hours
(c)

Offenses mentioned in paragraph (c) of article 83, from five hundred and forty to one thousand

and eighty hours

(d) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (d) of article 83, from one thousand and eighty to two
thousand and one hundred and sixty hours
Note 1- Hours of providing public services shall not exceed four hours a day for employed people
and eight hours a day for unemployed people. In any event, providing the services during the day
time shall not disrupt the convict from earning a reasonable living.
Note 2- The order of providing public services shall be subject to all legal regulations and provisions
relating to the same service including the conditions for the work of women and young people, safety
and hygiene standards, and regulations for hard and harmful jobs.
Note 3- The court cannot order more than one public service provided in the regulations referred to
in this chapter. In any event, in the case that the convict does not consent to provide public services,
the original sentence shall be given.
Note 4- Considering the physical condition and needs of medical services or family-related excuses
and the like, the judge in charge of execution of judgments can temporarily suspend the public
services up to three months within the period or propose to the issuing court to replace it with
another substitute punishment.
Article 85- Daily fine is defined as one-eighth to one-quarter of the daily income of the convict which
shall be given as explained below and shall be received under the supervision of [the judge in
charge of] the execution of judgments:
(a) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (a) of article 83, up to one hundred and eighty days
(b) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (b) of article 83, from one hundred and eighty to three
hundred and sixty days
(c)

Offenses mentioned in paragraph (c) of article 83, from three hundred and sixty days to seven

hundred and twenty days

(d) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (d) of article 83, from seven hundred and twenty days to one
thousand and four hundred and forty days

Note- The convict is obliged to pay the daily fines of each month within ten days after the end of the
month.
Article 86- The amount of fine substitute to imprisonment is as follows:
(a) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (a) of article 83, up to nine million (9,000,000) Rials
(b) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (b) of article 83, from nine million (9,000,000) Rials to
eighteen million (18,000,000) Rials
(c)

Offenses mentioned in paragraph (c) of article 83, from eighteen million (18,000,000) Rials to

thirty-six million (36,000,000) Rials

(d) Offenses mentioned in paragraph (d) of article 83, from thirty-six million (36,000,000) Rials to
seventy-two million (72,000,000) Rials
Article 87- The court while giving a substitute punishment for the imprisonment can sentence the
convict to one or more of the consequential or supplementary punishments taking into account the
offense committed and condition of the convict. In this case, such sentences shall not exceed two
years.
Chapter Ten- Punishment and Security and Correctional Measures for Children and Young
People
Article 88- The court shall make one of the following decisions, whichever is more appropriate,
about the children and young people who have committed tazir offenses whose age at the time of
commission is between nine to fifteen years according to the solar calendar:
(a) Handing over to parents or natural or legal guardians while taking promises to correct and
educate the child or youth and taking care of their good behavior
Note- When the court finds it in the best interest [of the child], it can take promises from the persons
mentioned in this paragraph to take measures such as the following and report the result to the court
in a specified time:
1-

Referral of the child or youth to a social worker or psychologist or other specialists and

cooperation with them

2-

Sending the child or youth to an educational and cultural institute in order to study or learn a

skill
3-

Required measures in order to treat or rehabilitate the addiction of the child or youth under the

supervision of a doctor
4-

Banning the child or youth from the harmful association with and contacting [specific] people at

the discretion of the court

5-

Banning the child or youth from going to specific places

(b) Handing over to other natural or legal persons that the court finds to be in the best interest of
the child or youth by ordering the measures mentioned in paragraph (a) where, considering article
1173 of the Civil Code, the parents or natural or legal guardians of the child or youth or not
competent or available
Note- Handing the child to competent people is subject to their acceptance.

(c)

Advising [the child or youth] by the judge

(d) Cautioning and warning or taking a written promise not to commit an offense again
(e)

Detention in the Correction and Rehabilitation Center from three months to one year in the

case of tazir offenses of the first to fifth degree

Note 1- Decisions mentioned in paragraphs (d) and (e) shall only be applicable on a child or youth
between twelve and fifteen years. In the case of commission of tazir crimes of the first to fifth
degree, application of provisions of paragraph (e) shall be mandatory.
Note 2- If a child who has not become mature commits any of offenses punishable by hadd orqisas,
if s/he is from twelve to fifteen years of age, s/he shall be sentenced to one of the measures
provided in paragraphs (d) or (e); otherwise, one of the measures provided in paragraphs (a) to (c)
of this article shall be applicable.
Note 3- In respect of the measures mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this article, the Children
and Youth Court, taking into account the investigations made and also the reports of social workers
about the condition of the child or youth and his/her behavior, can review its decision as many times
as the best interest of the child or youth requires.
Article 89- The following punishments shall be given to young people who commit tazir crimes and
they are between fifteen to eighteen years of age at the time of commission of the crime:
(a) Detention in Correction and Rehabilitation Center from two to five years in the case of offenses
punishable in law by a tazir punishment of the first to third degree.
(b) Detention in Correction and Rehabilitation Center from one to three years in the case of
offenses punishable in law by a tazir punishment of the fourth degree.
(c)

Detention in Correction and Rehabilitation Center from three months to one year or a fine of ten

million (10,000,000) Rials to forty million (40,000,000) Rials or providing one hundred and eighty to
seven hundred and twenty hours of unpaid public services in the case of offenses punishable in law
by a tazir punishment of the fifth degree.
(d) A fine of one million (1,000,000) Rials to ten million (10,000,000) Rials or providing sixty to one
hundred and eighty hours of unpaid public services in the case of offenses punishable in law by a
tazir punishment of the sixth degree.
(e)

A fine of up to one million (1,000,000) Rials in the case of offenses punishable in law by a tazir

punishment of the seventh and eighth degree.

Note 1- Hours of providing public services shall not exceed four hours a day.
Note 2- Considering the accused persons condition and the crime committed, the court, at its
discretion, instead of sentencing him/her to detention or a fine prescribed in paragraphs (a) to (c) of
this article, can order the offender to stay at home in specific hours determined by the court or
detention in the Correction and Rehabilitation Center in the weekend for three months to five years.
Article 90- The court can review its decision for once according to the reports received about the
condition of the child or youth and his/her behavior in Correction and Rehabilitation Center and may
reduce the detention term up to one-third or replace the detention with handing over the child or

youth to his/her natural or legal guardians. The courts decision to review [the original decision] shall
be made if the child or youth has spent at least one-fifth of the detention term in Correction and
Rehabilitation Center. The courts decision in these cases is deemed final; [however] this shall not
prevent [him/her] enjoying conditional release and other mitigations prescribed in the law, when their
requirements are met.
Article 91- In the cases of offenses punishable by hadd or qisas, if mature people under eighteen
years do not realize the nature of the crime committed or its prohibition, or of there is uncertainty
about their full mental development, according to their age, they shall be sentenced to the
punishments prescribed in this chapter.
Note- The court may ask the opinion of forensic medicine or resort to any other method that it sees
appropriate in order to establish the full mental development.
Article 92- In the case of offenses punishable by diya any payment of other types of financial
damages, the Children and Young People Court shall make decisions according to the provision
relating to diya and damages.
Article 93- If it recognizes mitigating factors, the court can reduce the punishments up to half of the
minimum punishment provided and replace security and correctional measures for children and
young people with another measure.
Article 94- In the case of all tazir crimes committed by young people, the court can postpone the
deliverance of the judgment or suspend the execution of the punishment.
Article 95- Criminal convictions of children and young offenders shall have no effect in criminal
records.
Chapter Eleven- Cessation of Punishment
Section One- Pardon
Article 96- Pardon or mitigation of punishment of convicts, in accordance with Islamic principles, is
upon the proposal of the Head of Judiciary and approval of the Leader.
Article 97- General pardon, which is given in accordance with the law in the cases of tazir crimes,
shall cease prosecution and trial. If the judgment of conviction is delivered, execution of punishment
shall be ceased and the criminal records shall be cleared.
Article 98- Pardon shall remove all the effects of the conviction however it has no effect on payment
of diya and compensation of damages of to the victim.
Section Two- Repeal of the law
Article 99- Repeal of the law shall cease prosecution and execution of punishment. Effects of repeal
of criminal laws are as explained in article 10 of this law.
Section Three- Forgiveness by complainant
Article 100- In forgivable tazir offenses, forgiveness by the complainant or private claimant shall
result in cease of prosecution or cease of execution, whichever is applicable.

Note 1- Forgivable offenses are offenses for which the start and continuity of prosecution and trial
and execution of the punishment is subject to making a complaint by the complainant and nonforgiveness by him/her.
Note 2- Non-forgivable offenses are offenses in which the complaint by the complainant and his/her
forgiveness has no effect in the start of prosecution and trial and their continuity and execution of the
punishment.
Note 3- Provisions relating to forgiveness by the complainant in the cases of qisas of life and
limb,hadd punishment of qazf, and hadd punishment of theft, are the same as prescribed in Books
Two (Hudud) and Three (Qisas) of this law. Forgiveness of the complainant in other haddoffenses
has no effect in cessation or mitigation of the punishment.
Article 101- Forgiveness must be incontrovertible, and a conditional and suspended forgiveness
shall not be considered unless the condition or the subject of suspension is materialized.
Furthermore, repudiation from the forgiveness is not allowed.
Note 1- A conditional and suspended forgiveness shall not prevent the prosecution, trial and
delivering the decision; however, execution of the punishment in the case of forgivable offenses shall
be subject to non-materialization of the condition or subject to suspension. In this case, the accused
shall be released on an appropriate warrant.
Note 2- Forgiveness by an occasional guardian shall be approved by the public prosecutor.
Article 102- If there are multiple victims of an offense, the criminal prosecution shall commence
upon complaint of each one of them; but, cessation of prosecution, trial and execution of punishment
is subject to forgiveness of all complainants.
Note- The right to forgiveness is inherited by the heirs of the victims of the offense. In case of
forgiveness by all heirs, the prosecution, trial and execution of punishment, whichever is applicable,
shall be ceased.
Article 103- If an offense is not expressly stated in the law as forgivable, it shall be deemed as
unforgiveable; unless it is categorized as haq-ul-naas (claim of people) and is forgivable under
Sharia.
Article 104- In addition to tazir offenses mentioned in the Book of Diyat and Chapter of Qazf of this
law, and the offenses that are specified as forgivable under specific laws, the crimes mentioned in
the latter parts of articles 596, 608, 622, 632, 642, 648, 668, 669, 676, 677, 679, 682, 684, 685, 690,
692, 694, 697, 698, 699, and 700 of the Fifth Book of Tazirat shall be deemed as forgivable.
Section Four- Lapse of time
Article 105- Lapse of time shall cease prosecution of the following tazir offenses only if the
prosecution has not been commenced from the date of the commission of the offense until the
following fixed times, or if since the last prosecutorial or investigative action until the following fixed
times, it has not resulted in deliverance of the final judgment:
(a) Tazir offenses of the first to three degree, after a lapse of fifteen years
(b) Tazir offenses of the fourth degree, after a lapse of ten years

(c)

Tazir offenses of the fifth degree, after a lapse of seven years

(d) Tazir offenses of the sixth degree, after a lapse of five years
(e)

Tazir offenses of the seventh and eighth degrees, after a lapse of three years

Note 1- A prosecutorial or investigatory action is an action taken by judicial authorities in performing

a legal duty such as summoning, arresting, interrogating, hearing testimonies of witnesses and those
with information [about the offense], local investigating or examining the place and judicial
authorization.
Note 2- In the case of issuing a warrant of dependence, the lapse of time shall be commenced from
the date on which the decision the prosecution depends on becomes final.
Article 106- In the case of forgivable tazir offenses, if the victim of the offense does not make a
complaint after one year from the date s/he has become aware of the offense, his/her right to make
a criminal complaint shall be ended unless s/he has been under domination of the accused or if for
any reason out of his/her control has not been able to make the complaint, in which case the
abovementioned time shall be calculated from the date that the obstacle is removed. If the victim of
the offense dies before the end of the abovementioned time and there is no evidence that s/he has
decided not to make a complaint, then any of his/her heirs has the right to make a complaint within
six months after his/her death.
Note- In cases other than when the complainant has been under domination of the accused, the
complainants, or his/her heirs, complaint shall be dealt with only if the offense in question has not
been subject to the lapse of time prescribed in article 105 of this law.
Article 107- Lapse of time shall cease the execution of final tazir sentences, and it shall be
commenced from the date the judgment of conviction becomes final as described below:
(a) Tazir offenses of the first to three degree, after a lapse of twenty years
(b) Tazir offenses of the fourth degree, after a lapse of fifteen years
(c)

Tazir offenses of the fifth degree, after a lapse of ten years

(d) Tazir offenses of the sixth degree, after a lapse of seven years
(e)

Tazir offenses of the seventh and eighth degrees, after a lapse of five years

Note 1- If execution of the whole or the rest of the sentence is halted for a limited time or subject to
removal of an obstacle, the lapse of time shall be calculated from the specific time or removal of the
obstacle.
Note 2- Lapse of time for execution of foreign judgments in relation to Iranian citizens shall be dealt
with under this law subject to legal provisions and agreements.
Article 108- Where the execution of a sentence is started but stopped for whatever reason, the
lapse of time shall be commenced from the time the execution is stopped; and in cases where [the
execution] is stopped for more than one time, the lapse of time shall be commenced from the last
time the execution is stopped, unless the execution is stopped due to intentional conduct of the
convict in which case the lapse of time shall not be applied.

Article 109- The lapse of time shall not applicable in relation to prosecution, deliverance of the
judgment and execution of the sentence for the following offenses:
(a) Crimes against the domestic and foreign security of the country
(b) Economic offenses including fraud and the crimes mentioned in the note of article 36 of this law
with consideration to the amount prescribed in that article
(c)

Offenses prescribed in the Anti-Narcotics Law

Article 110- Where according to one or more judgments, there are multiple final sentences delivered
against a single individual, if execution of one of the sentences is started it shall discontinue the
lapse of time for the other sentences.
Article 111- In the cases of suspension of a sentence or when a conditional release is granted, if the
writ of suspension or the decision of conditional release is cancelled then the lapse of time shall
begin from the date the writ or decision is cancelled.
Article 112- Discontinuation of the lapse of time is absolute and shall apply to all accomplices and
accessories to the crime whether or not they are prosecuted, and even if the prosecution is
commenced against only one of them. In addition, if execution of the sentence is started against
some of the accomplices and accessories to the crime it shall discontinue the lapse of time for the
other convicts.
Article 113- Cessation of the prosecution, deliverance of the judgment, or execution of the sentence
shall not prevent the recovery of the rights of the private claimant; and the victim of the crime can
make a private claim before the competent [judicial] body.
Section Five- Repentance of the offender
Article 114- In the case of offenses punishable by hadd, with the exception of qazf andmoharebeh, if
the accused repents anytime before the commission of the offense is proved, and his/her regret and
correction is certain in the eyes of the judge, the hadd punishment shall not be given. In addition, if
the abovementioned offenses, except for qazf, are proved by confession, if the offender repents,
even after the commission of the offense is proved, the court, through the Head of Judiciary, can
apply for pardon of the offender by the Leader.
Note 1- If a mohareb repents before s/he is arrested or held under control, the hadd punishment
shall not be given.
Note 2- In the cases of zina and livat, when the offense is committed by force or coercion or
deception of the victim, if the offender repents and the [hadd] punishment is not given according to
this article, s/he shall be sentenced to tazir imprisonment or flogging, or both, of the sixth degree.
Article 115- In the case of tazir offenses of the sixth, seventh, or eighth degree, if the offender
repents and his/her regret and correction is certain in the eyes of the judge, the punishment shall not
be given. In other tazir offenses, [if the offender repents], the court can apply the provisions relating
to mitigation of the punishment.
Note 1- The provisions relating to repentance shall not be applied on individuals to whom the
provisions of re-offending of tazir offenses are applicable.

Note 2- Provisions of this article, as well as paragraph (b) of article 7 and paragraphs (a) and (b) of
article 8, and also articles 28, 39, 40, 45, 46, 92, 93, and 105 of this law shall not be applicable on
tazir offenses prescribed in Sharia.
Article 116- Diya, qisas, and the hadd punishments of qazf and moharebeh shall not be removed by
repentance.
Article 117- In cases where the repentance of the accused removes or reduces the punishment,
his/her repentance and correction and regret must be established and the mere assertion of the
offender shall not suffice. If after the provisions regarding repentance are applied, it is proved that
the offender has pretended that s/he has repented, the removal and mitigation of the punishment
given shall be annulled and the sentence shall be executed. In this case, if the sentence is a tazir
punishment, the offender shall be sentenced to the maximum tazir punishment provided.
Article 118- Before the judgment becomes final, the accused can submit the evidence of his/her
repentance to the body responsible for prosecution or trial, whichever is applicable.
Article 119- If the public prosecutor disagrees with the removal or mitigation of the punishment, he
can protest to the responsible body for the appeal.
Section Six- Application of principle of Dara
Article 120- If there is any doubt or hesitation about commission of a crime or any of its elements or
any of the requirements for criminal liability and no evidence is found to remove that, the offense or
the requirement in question, whichever is applicable, shall not be proved.
Article 121- In the case of crimes punishable by hadd, with the exception of moharebeh, efsad-e-felarz, theft, and qazf, with a mere doubt or hesitation and without any need for further evidence, the
offense or the requirement in question, whichever is applicable, shall not be proved.
Part Three- Offenses
Chapter One- Attempt to Commit an Offense
Article 122- Anyone who intends to commits a crime and attempts to commit it, but his intention is
left frustrated because of a factor out of his/her control, shall be sentenced as prescribed below:
(a) In the cases of offenses for which their punishments under law are deprivation of life, life
imprisonment, or tazir imprisonment of the first to third degree, [they shall be sentenced] to a tazir
imprisonment of the fourth degree
(b) In the cases of offenses for which their punishments under law are amputation of limbs or a
tazir imprisonment of the fourth degree, [they shall be sentenced] to a tazir imprisonment of the fifth
degree
(c)

In the cases of offenses for which their punishments under law are a hadd flogging or a tazir

imprisonment of the fifth degree, [they shall be sentenced] to a tazir imprisonment or flogging or fine
of the sixth degree
Note- If the conduct of the offender has a direct connection with commission of the offense, but the
commission of the offense is impossible due to material reasons that the offender was unaware of,
the measures taken shall be deemed as an attempt to commit an offense.

Article 123- The mere intention to commit an offense or any operation or measures that are only the
preparation of an offense and have no direct connection to commission of the offense, shall not be
considered as an attempt to commit an offense and shall not be punishable in this respect.
Article 124- Where anyone attempts to commit an offense and gives it up on his/her own will, s/he
shall not be prosecuted on the charge of attempting that offense; however, if what s/he has done up
to that point is considered an offense, s/he shall be sentenced to the punishment provided for that
offense.
Chapter Two- Accomplices to the offense
Article 125- Any person who associates with other person(s) in the operational stage of an offense,
and where the offense is attributed to their collective conduct, whether or not the conduct of each
one would be sufficient for committing the offense, and whether the result of their conduct is equal or
different, shall be regarded as an accomplice to the offenses and his/her punishment shall be as
though one person has individually committed the offense. In the case of unintentional offenses if the
offense is committed as a result of wrongdoing of two or more people, the wrongdoers shall be
regarded as accomplices to the offenses and the punishment for each offender shall be as though
one person has individually committed the offense.
Note- Imposition of punishments of hudud and qisas and diyat upon accomplices of an offense shall
be carried out according to the provisions of Books Two and Three and Four of this law.
Chapter Three- Accessories to the offense
Article 126- The following persons shall be considered as accessories to the offense:
(a) Anyone, who encourages or threatens or suborns or incites someone else to commit an offense,
or through a plot, deception, or abuse of power causes an offense to be committed.
(b) Anyone who makes or provides the means for commission of an offense, or shows the offender
the way to commit an offense
(c)

Anyone who facilitates the commission of an offense

Note In order for abetment of an offense to take place, the act of the abettor must be prior or
simultaneous to the act of the principal of the offense and both have the same intention. If the main
principal of the offense commits an offense more severe than what intended by the abettor, the
abettor shall be sentenced to the punishment for abetment of the lesser offense.
Article 127- Unless a different punishment is provided in law or Sharia for the abettor, his/her
punishment shall be as below:
(a) In the cases of offenses for which their punishments as prescribed in law are deprivation of life,
life imprisonment, or tazir imprisonment of the second to third degree, [s/he shall be sentenced] to a
tazir imprisonment of the fourth degree
(b) In the case of a theft punishable by a hadd punishment, or intentional amputation of limbs, [s/he
shall be sentenced] to a tazir imprisonment of the fifth to sixth degree

(c)

In the cases of offenses for which their punishment as prescribed by law is the haddpunishment

of flogging, [s/he shall be sentenced] to thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of tazir flogging of the sixth
degree
(d) In the cases of offenses punishable by tazir, [s/he shall be sentenced] to a [tazir] punishment
one or two degrees lesser than the punishment for the offense committed
Note 1- Regarding paragraph (d) of this article, the punishment for the abettor shall be of the same
type of the punishment prescribed in law for the offense committed; unless in the cases of
confiscation of properties, permanent dismissal, and publication of the judgment of conviction that
the punishment for abettor shall be a fine of, respectively, the fourth, sixth and seventh degree.
Note 2- If for any reason a qisas of life or limb is not executed, the punishment of the abettor shall be
given according to paragraph (d) of this article on the basis of the tazir punishment given to the main
principal to the offense.
Article 128- Anyone who uses a non-mature child as a means to commit an offense which is
attributable the offender, shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided for that offense.
In addition, anyone who abets the criminal conduct of a non-mature child shall be sentenced to the
maximum punishment provided for the abetment of that offense.
Article 129- If in commission of criminal conduct, the offender is not prosecutable, or the
prosecution or execution of the sentence is ceased, for any reason such as being under the age [of
criminal responsibility] or insanity, it shall have no effect on the prosecution and punishment of the
accessory to the offense.
Chapter Four- Leading a Gang of Organized Criminals
Article 130- Anyone who holds the position of a leader of a criminal gang shall be sentenced to the
maximum punishment provided for the most severe offense committed by the members of the gang
in line with the aims of that gang; unless the committed offense is punishable
by hadd orqisas or diya in which case s/he shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided
for abetment of that offense. In the cases of moharebeh and efsad-e-fel-arz, if the leader of the gang
can be considered as mohareb or mufsed-e fel-arz, s/he shall be sentenced to the punishment
provided, respectively, for mohareb and efsad-e-fel-arz.
Note 1- A criminal gang is a relatively organized group consisting of more than three or more
individuals, which is formed for commission of an offense, or where its aim is diverted to commission
of an offense after its formation.
Note 2- Leadership is defined as forming, or planning, or organizing or directing a criminal gang.
Chapter Five- Multiplicity of Offenses
Article 131- In the cases of offenses punishable by tazir, if a single conduct falls under the title of
multiple offenses, the offender shall be sentenced to the most severe punishment.
Article 132- In the cases of offenses punishable by hadd, multiple offenses shall be sentenced with
multiple [hadd] punishments, except in cases where the offenses committed and their punishments
are the same.

Note 1- If the offender is sentenced to death and imprisonment, or death and banishment, only the
death penalty shall be executed.
Note 2- In the cases where two or more hadd offenses are in line and committed in the same
occasion, only the most severe punishment shall be executed; for example tafkhiz [rubbing a penis
between a persons thighs without penetration] while committing livat in which case only the
punishment for livat shall be executed.
Note 3- If a man and a woman commit zina together more than one time, if the death penalty and
flogging or stoning and flogging are imposed, only the death penalty or stoning, whichever is
applicable, shall be executed.
Note 4- If a qazf is committed against two or more individuals, two or more punishments shall be
imposed.
Article 133- In the case of multiple offenses punishable by hadd and qisas, the punishments shall
be added. However, if a hadd punishment obviates the qisas or causes delay in execution of
theqisas, then execution of the qisas shall prevail, and unless immediate execution of qisas is not
requested, or qisas is forgiven or replaced with diya, the hadd punishment shall be executed.
Article 134- In the cases of offenses punishable by tazir, where the offenses committed are not
more than three, the court shall impose the maximum punishment provided for each offense; and if
the offenses committed are more than three, [the court] shall impose more than the maximum
punishment provided for each crime provided that it does not exceed more than the maximum plus
one half of each punishment. In any of the abovementioned cases, only the most severe punishment
shall be executed and if the most severe punishment is reduced or replaced or becomes nonexecutable for any legal reason, the next most severe punishment shall be executed. In any case
where there is no maximum and minimum provided for the punishment, if the offenses committed
are not more than three, up to one-fourth, and if the offenses committed are more than three, up to
half of the punishment prescribed by law shall be added to the original punishment.
Note 1- If multiple criminal outcomes resulted from a single criminal conduct, it shall be dealt with
according to the abovementioned provisions.
Note 2- If the offenses committed cumulatively fall under a specific title of an offense, then provisions
regarding multiplicity of offenses shall not be applicable and the offender shall be sentenced to the
punishment provided in law.
Note 3- In the case of multiplicity of offenses, if there are mitigating factors, the court can reduce the
punishment of the offender down to the average between the maximum and minimum, and if there is
no maximum and minimum provided for the punishment, down to a half.
Note 4- The provisions regarding multiplicity of offenses shall not be applied to tazir offenses of the
seventh and eighth degree. Such punishments shall be added together as well as to tazir
punishments of the first to sixth grade.
Article 135- In the case of multiplicity of offenses punishable by hadd and tazir and also qisasand
tazir, the punishments shall be added and the hadd or qisas punishment shall be executed first;

unless the hadd or qisas punishment is deprivation of life, or if the tazir punishment is a haq-unnas (claim of people) or a specifically prescribed tazir punishment under Sharia and does not cause
any delay in execution of the hadd punishment, in which case the tazir punishment shall be
executed first.
Note- If the hadd offense is of the same nature of the tazir offense, for example a theft punishable
by hadd and a theft punishable by other than hadd, or a zina and an indecent relationship lesser
than zina, then the offender shall only be sentenced to the hadd punishment and the tazir
punishment shall be removed, unless in the case of hadd punishment for qazf that if it is considered
as qazf to one person and insult to another, the offender shall be sentenced to both the
punishments.
Chapter Six- Reoffending
Article 136- Where anyone commits the same offense punishable by hadd three times, and each
time the hadd punishment is executed upon him/her, the hadd punishment on the fourth occasion
shall be the death penalty.
Article 137- Anybody who is, according to a final judgment, sentenced to one of the tazir
punishments of the first to sixth degree, and from the date the judgment has become final to either
rehabilitation from the offense or lapse of time for execution of the punishment commits a further
offense punishable by tazir of the first to sixth degree, s/he shall be sentenced to the maximum up to
one and a half of the punishment provided.
Article 138- The provisions regarding reoffending shall not be applicable in the cases of political and
press offenses and offenses committed by children.
Article 139- In the case of reoffending of tazir offenses, if there are mitigating factors, it shall be
dealt with according to the following:
(a) If there is a maximum and minimum for the punishment prescribed in law, the court can reduce
the punishment of the offender down to the average of the maximum and minimum.
(b) If the punishment is fixed or without a minimum, the court can reduce the punishment of the
offender down to half of the punishment provided.
Note- If the offender has three or more counts of final convictions upon which the provisions of
reoffending are applicable, then, the provisions of mitigation shall not be applied.
Part Four- Conditions and Obstacles of Criminal Responsibility
Chapter One- Conditions of Criminal Responsibility
Article 140- Criminal responsibility in the cases of hudud, qisas, and tazirat shall be established
only when the individual is sane, pubescent, and free at the time of commission of the offense, with
the exception of coercion to murder which has been dealt with in the Third Book Qisas.
Article 141- Criminal responsibility is personal.
Article 142- Criminal responsibility for conduct of another party shall be established only if the
individual is deemed responsible by law for the acts of another person, or if s/he is at fault regarding
the outcome of the conduct of another person.

Article 143- Regarding criminal responsibility, the natural person shall bear the responsibility by
default and the legal person shall only bear the criminal responsibility if the legal representative of
the legal person commits a crime under its name or in line with its interests. Criminal responsibility of
legal persons shall not prevent the responsibility of natural persons who commit an offense.
Article 144- In commission of intentional offenses, in addition to knowledge of the offender about the
subject of the offense, his/her intention to commit the criminal conduct shall be established. In cases
of offenses in which commission of the offense is subject to materialization of the outcome, it must
be established that [the offender had] the intention to achieve the outcome, or had known that the
outcome would happen.
Article 145- Accomplishment of unintentional offenses is subject to establishing the fault of the
offender. In cases of unintentional offenses against body and life, including quasi-intentional offenses
or absolute negligence, the provisions of Books Qisas and Diyat shall be applied.
Note- Fault includes both negligence and recklessness. Indulgence, inattention, lack of skill and
disregard of governmental regulations and so on, shall be considered as either negligence or
recklessness, whichever is applicable.
Chapter Two- Obstacles of Criminal Responsibility
Article 146- Non-mature children have no criminal responsibility.
Article 147- The age of maturity for girls and boys are, respectively, a full nine and fifteen lunar
years.
Article 148- In the cases of non-mature children, security and correctional measures shall be
applied in accordance with the provisions of this law.
Article 149- When the offender at the time of commission of an offense had been suffering from a
mental disorder in a way that s/he had no intention or sense of discernment, s/he shall be regarded
as insane and has no criminal responsibility.
Article 150- If, at the time of commission of the offense, the offender is insane, or s/he becomes
insane after the occurrence of the offense, and his/her insanity and dangerous state is established
by a specialist, by the order of public prosecutor, s/he shall be kept in an appropriate place until such
a dangerous state is ended. The detainee or his/her relatives can protest this order to the court; in
such a case, the court, in the presence of the protestor, and considering the opinion of the specialist,
shall consider the issue in an administrative session and decide to either release the detainee if it
believes that the dangerous state is ended or confirm the prosecutors order. The decision shall be
final, but the detainee or his/her relatives shall be entitled to protest against the decision if the
detainee shows signs of improvement.
Note 1- If an offender of one the offenses punishable by hadd, becomes insane after the final
judgment is delivered, the hadd punishment shall not be removed. If the insanity occurs before the
final judgment is delivered, in the cases of hadd offenses that fall under the category ofhuququllah (claims of God) the prosecution and trial shall be postponed until [the offender] is recovered. In
the cases of offenses that fall under the category of huquq-un-nas (claims of people) such

as qisas and diya, and also in which losses and damages resulted from the offense, insanity shall
not prevent the prosecution and trial.
Note 2- The Judiciary is obliged to provide centers of security measures for keeping such individuals
in every judicial district. Until such centers begin their work, one part of psychotherapy centers of
Behzisti organization or available hospitals shall be allocated for such individuals.
Article 151- Anyone, who, as a result of an unbearable coercion, commits a conduct that is
considered by law as an offense, shall not be punished. In the cases of offenses punishable by tazir,
the coercer shall be sentenced to the punishment provided for the offender of the offense. In the
cases of offenses punishable by hadd and qisas, the relevant provisions shall apply.
Article 152- If any person, during grave actual or imminent dangers such as fire, flood, storm,
earthquake, or illness commits a conduct that is considered by law as an offense in order to save
his/her, or someone elses, property or life, s/he shall not be punished, provided that s/he has not
caused the danger intentionally and his/her conduct is in proportion to the danger and is necessary
to counter it.
Note- Those who are obliged by law or duty to counter the danger cannot refuse to perform their
legal duties by resorting to this article.
Article 153- Anyone who commits conduct that is considered by law as an offense while s/he is
asleep or unconscious and the like, shall not be punished; unless s/he has intentionally slept or
made him/herself unconscious while being certain that s/he would commit an offense during the
sleep or unconsciousness.
Article 154- Drunkenness and indetermination resulting from voluntary consumption of alcoholic
beverages, narcotic and psychedelic drugs, and the like, shall not prevent punishment, unless it is
proved that the offender has totally lost his will. However, if it is proved that such substances were
consumed in order to commit the offense, or with the knowledge that the offense would occur, and
the intended offense [actually] occurs, the offender shall be punished for both offenses.
Article 155- Ignorance about the matter of law shall not prevent the punishment of the offender,
unless it is reasonably impossible for him/her to become aware [of the law], or if ignorance about the
law is considered an acceptable excuse under Sharia.
Note- Ignorance about the type or amount of the punishment shall not prevent the punishment.
Article 156- If anyone commits a conduct that is considered as an offense by law in defense of
his/her, or someone elses, life or honor or chastity or property or physical freedom, against any
actual or imminent aggression or danger, provided that the stages of defense and the following
conditions are met, s/he shall not be punished:
(a) The conduct committed is necessary to counter the aggression or danger.
(b) The defense is based on reasonable circumstances or rational fear.
(c)

The danger and aggression are not results of the persons voluntary action or his/her

aggression and another persons defense.

(d) Resorting to governmental forces is not practicable in a reasonable time, or the intervention of
such forces is not effective in repelling the aggression and danger.
Note 1- Defending someone elses life, honor, chastity, property, or physical freedom is permissible
provided that s/he has a close relationship with the defender or the defender has a duty to defend
him/her or if s/he is not able to defend him/herself or calls for help or is in a situation where they are
unable to call for help.
Note 2- Where the defense is basically established but whether or not the conditions are met is not
proved, it is up to the aggressor to prove that the conditions for defense are not met.
Note 3- In the cases of lawful defense, diya, too, shall not be given with the exception of defense
against an insane person in which case the diya shall be paid from beyt-ul-mal (public treasury).
Article 157- Resistance against police forces and other law enforcement officials whilst performing
their duties shall not be considered a defense; however, if such forces exceed the scope of their
duties and, on the basis of reasons and circumstances, there is a fear that their actions may cause
death or injury or violation of honor or chastity, then, such a defense shall be permissible.
Article 158- In addition to the cases mentioned in previous articles, committing conduct which is
considered by law as an offense, shall not be punished in the following cases:
(a) If the commission of the conduct is mandated or permitted by law.
(b) If the commission of the conduct is necessary for enforcement of a more important law.
(c)

If the conduct is committed upon the lawful order of a competent authority and the

aforementioned order is not against Sharia.

(d) The acts committed by parents and legal guardians of minors and insane people in order to
chastise or protect them provided that such actions are exercised within the customary limits and
religious limits for chastisement and protection.
(e)

Athletic exercises and the accidents arising from them, provided that the causes of the

accidents are not the violation of relevant rules of that sport, and such regulations do not violate the
rules of Islamic Sharia.
(f)

Every legitimate surgical or medical operation which is done by the consent of the patient or

his/her parents or natural or legal guardians, or legal representatives, with due consideration given
to technical and medical and governmental regulations. In emergency cases obtaining consent is not
required.
Article 159- When an offense is committed in compliance with an unlawful order of an official
authority, both the commanding official and the offender shall be sentenced to the punishment
provided by law. But for the offender who has committed the act in reliance on an acceptable
mistake and on the assumption that it was lawful, s/he shall not be punished but the provisions
ofdiya and financial compensation are applicable.
Part Five- Evidence Rules in Criminal Cases
Chapter One- General Articles

Article 160- Evidence [admissible] for proof of crimes are confession, testimony, qasaameh, and
oath in the cases specified by law and also knowledge of the judge.
Note- Rules and conditions of qasaameh which are admissible for proof or refusal of qisas anddiya,
are dealt with in the Books Qisas and Diyat of this law.
Article 161- In cases where the criminal claim can be proved by relative evidence prescribed by
Sharia, the judge shall deliver the judgment on the basis of that evidence, unless it is contrary to his
knowledge.
Article 162- Where the relevant evidence does not meet the requirements provided in law and
Sharia, they can be used as judicial signs [hearsay evidence] provided that, together with other
circumstantial and hearsay evidences, they result in the knowledge of the judge.
Article 163- If after a judgment is executed, the evidence that was relied on to prove the offense is
annulled, for example if it is proved in a court that the offender has been someone else or the
offense has never happened, and as a result of execution of the judgment, the accused has suffered
from physical or financial losses or has lost his/her life, those to whom the loss or damage is
attributable, including one who has sworn, the complainant, or witness shall be sentenced to qisas,
or diya or the tazir punishment, whichever is applicable, as prescribed in law, and compensation of
financial losses.
Chapter Two- Confession
Article 164- Confession is defined as declaration of a person of commission of an offense by
him/herself.
Article 165- Statements of an attorney/representative against the client, as well as natural or legal
guardians against their wards shall not be considered as a confession.
Note- Confession of commission of an offense cannot be authorized to a third party.
Article 166- Confession must be made by [saying the] words or in writing; and, if [the above
mentioned ways] are not possible, it can be made by an act such as a gesture; and in any event it
should be clear and unambiguous.
Article 167- Confession must be incontrovertible; and, a conditional and suspended confession shall
not be considered.
Article 168- A confession shall be admissible only if at the time of confession the confessor is sane,
pubescent, intended [to make the confession] and free.
Article 169- A confession which is taken under coercion, force, torture, or mental or physical abuses,
shall not be given any validity and weight and the court is obliged to interrogate the accused again.
Article 170- Confession of an individual who has no competence in financial issues according to a
court decision, and also that of a bankrupt [individual], shall be admissible in criminal matters;
however their confessions shall be inadmissible regarding the financial liability resulting from the
offense.
Article 171- If an accused confesses to commission of an offense, his/her confession shall be
admissible and there is no need for further evidence; unless according to the examination made by

the trial judge, there is circumstantial and hearsay evidence contrary to the confession, in which
case the court shall make the required investigation and examination and stipulate the contrary
circumstantial and hearsay evidence in the judgment.
Article 172- Confession for one time shall be enough for all offenses, except for the following
offenses which require [a different standard] as explained below:
(a) Four times in the cases of zina, livat, tafkhiz, and musaheqeh
(b) Two times in the cases of consumption of intoxicants, procuring/pandering, qazf, and a theft
punishable by hadd
Note 1- In order to prove the non-criminal aspects of all offenses, a confession made only one time
shall suffice.
Note 2- In cases where confession for more than one time is required, the confession can be made
in one or more session(s).
Article 173- The denial after confession shall not result in removal of the punishment except for
confession to an offense which is punishable by stoning or the death penalty as a haddpunishment,
in which case, at any stage, even during the execution, the aforementioned sentence shall be
removed and, instead, one hundred lashes in the case of zina and livat, and a tazir imprisonment of
the fifth degree in other offenses, shall be given.
Chapter Three- Testimony
Article 174- Testimony is defined as declaration of a third party of commission or non-commission of
an offense by the accused, or any other matter before the judicial authority.
Article 175- An admissible testimony under Sharia is one recognized by the lawmaker as valid and
ultimate proof, whether or not it results in the knowledge [of the judge].
Article 176- If the witness does not meet the requirements provided for an admissible testimony
under Sharia rules, his/her statements shall be heard. [However,] such statements shall be regarded
as judicial signs (hearsay evidence) and the validity and weight given to them in the knowledge of
the judge shall be decided by the court.
Article 177- An admissible witness under Sharia rules shall meet the following requirements:
(a) Puberty
(b) Reason
(c)

Faith

(d) Justice
(e)

Legitimacy of birth [born in wedlock]

(f)

Not being a beneficiary to the claim

(g) Not being in conflict with any or both of the parties

(h) Not chosen beggary as his/her occupation
(i)

Not being a vagrant

Note 1- The judge shall confirm that the requirements mentioned in this article are met.

Note 2- Regarding the requirement of not being in conflict, if the witnesss testimony is in favor of
the party s/he is in conflict with, it shall be accepted.
Article 178- Testimony of a periodically insane person shall be accepted when s/he is in a period of
recovery, provided that the subject matter of the testimony, too, has happened in a period of
recovery.
Article 179- If a witness is a non-pubescent who can discern between good and evil at the time that
the subject matter of the testimony happened, but s/he has reached the age of puberty at the time of
giving testimony, his/her testimony shall be admissible.
Article 180- Testimony of abnormal people such as a forgetful or amnesic person shall not be
accepted as an admissible testimony under Sharia rules, unless the judge believes that s/he has not
forgotten or mistaken, etc the subject matter of the testimony.
Article 181- A just person is a person that in the eyes of the judge, or the [third] person who testifies
to confirm his/her justice, is not sinful. Testimony of a person who is infamous for corruption, or
commits capital sins or insists on commission of minor sins, shall not be accepted, until it is
confirmed that s/he had changed his/her behavior and there is no doubt about his/her competence
and just nature.
Article 182- Regarding admissible testimony under Sharia rules, if there is more than one witness, it
is necessary that they testify about the same subject matter, and the contents of their testimonies
show no difference in relation to the facts and conditions which are effective in proving the offense.
Where the contents of the testimonies are contradictory or are not about the same subject matter, it
shall not be accepted as an admissible testimony under Sharia rules.
Article 183- Testimony must be made with certainty and without doubt and be based on what is
experienced by the persons own senses and through a reasonable way.
Article 184- Testimony must be made by [saying the] words or in writing; and, if [the above
mentioned ways] are not possible, it can be made by an act such as a gesture; and in any event it
should be clear and unambiguous.
Article 185- If two testimonies which are admissible under Sharia are contradictory none of them
shall be admissible.
Article 186- If it is impossible for a witness to be present, his/her testimony shall be admissible in
writing or live or recorded audio-video format, subject to the requirements and provided that it is
certified that [the writing or recording] is attributable to [the witness].
Article 187- Regarding the admissible testimony under Sharia, there must be no adverse
knowledge/certainty against the content of the testimony. If there is circumstantial and hearsay
evidence contrary to the admissible testimony under Sharia, the court shall make the required
investigations and examinations and if it concludes that the testimony lacks veracity, the testimony
shall be inadmissible.

Article 188- A hearsay testimony [which reports to the court] of an admissible witness statement
under Sharia [made by a third party out of the court] shall be admissible only if the main witness is
dead or is unable to attend because of absence, illness, etc.
Note 1- A witness of a hearsay testimony must meet the requirements provided for the main witness.
Note 2- A hearsay testimony of a further hearsay testimony shall not be admissible.
Article 189- Offenses punishable by hadd and tazir cannot be proved by a hearsay testimony;
however, qisas, diya, and financial liability [resulting from an offense] can be proved by it.
Article 190- If the main witness, after the hearsay witness(es) gave their testimonies and before the
judgment is delivered, denies their testimonies, the testimonies of the hearsay witnesses shall be
inadmissible; however there must be no effect given to the denial after the judgment is delivered.
Article 191- A witness credibility who meets the requirements under Sharia can be attacked (jarh)
and supported (tadil). [Therefore,] someone can testify that the witness is lacking the legal
requirements provided for an admissible witness under Sharia, which is called jarh; and
[alternatively], someone else can testify that the witness is meeting such requirements for an
admissible witness under Sharia, which is called tadil.
Article 192- The judge is obliged to declare to the parties that they have a right to attack (jarh)
and/or support (tadil) the witnesses.
Article 193- An attack on the credibility (jarh) of an admissible witness under Sharia shall be made
before s/he gives testimony; unless, the reasons for the attack on credibility (jarh) is revealed after
the testimony is given. In such a case, attack on credibility (jarh) shall be made before the judgment
is delivered, and in any event the court is obliged to hear the credibility (jarh) and make a decision.
Article 194- If a witness is rejected by the judge or his/her credibility is attacked (jarh), [the burden of
proof is on] the party who claims the witness meets the requirements and s/he shall give evidence to
prove it.
Article 195- In attacking (jarh) or supporting (tadil) a witness credibility, it is not necessary to
mention the grounds, and the mere testimony to question or support the witness credibility shall be
sufficient, provided that the witness meets the requirements provided by Sharia.
Note- In establishing or refusing the requirement of justice, the witness [who testifies for or against a
main witness] must have knowledge about meeting or lacking the requirement of justice; and a mere
reliance on a plausible demeanor shall not be sufficient for the purpose of establishing the
requirement of justice.
Article 196- If the testimonies of the witnesses who are attacking (jarh) or supporting (tadil) a
witness credibility are contradictory they shall not be admissible.
Article 197- Where the court does not approve that the testifying witnesses meet the legal
requirements; otherwise, it shall not consider the testimony as admissible under Sharia; and if it
does not have information about their status, shall postpone the trial for a period not more than ten
days in order to examine their conditions and establish their status, and, then, it shall make the
decision, unless, in the judges opinion, it is not possible to establish their conditions within ten days.

Article 198- Withdrawal of an admissible testimony which meets the requirements under Sharia
rules, if made before the punishment is executed, shall invalidate the testimony; and, it shall not be
admissible to revive a testimony after it is withdrawn.
Article 199- The standard [of proof] for testimony in all offenses shall be two male witnesses; unless
in zina, livat, tafkhiz, and musaheqeh which shall be proved by four male witnesses. In order to
prove a zina punishable by the hadd punishment of flogging, shaving [of head] and/or banishment,
testimony of two just men and four just women shall be sufficient. If the punishment provided is other
than the above, testimony of at least three men and two women shall be required. In such cases, if
two just men and four just women testify for the offense, only the haddpunishment of flogging shall
be given. Bodily offenses punishable by diya shall also be proved by one male witness and two
female witnesses.
Article 200- Regarding testimony in the cases of zina or livat, the witness must have personally
seen the act by which zina or livat occurs, and if their testimonies are not based on eye-witnessing,
and also if the number of witnesses does not meet the number required [by law], such testimonies in
the cases of zina and livat shall be considered as qazf and punishable by a haddpunishment.
Chapter Four- Oath
Article 201- Oath is defined as calling for the God to be the witness of truthfulness of the person
who takes the oath.
Article 202- The person who takes the oath shall be sane, pubescent, intending [to take the oath]
and free.
Article 203- The oath must be taken as ordered by the court using the holy oaths of vallah, tallah
or bellah or by saying the God almightys name in other languages, and if it is required to intensify
the oath, provided that the person who takes the oath agrees, the court shall determine the
conditions under which the oath should be taken, including the time, place, wording, etc. In any
event, there shall be no difference between a Muslim and non-Muslim in taking an oath to the God
almightys name.
Article 204- The oath must be in conformity with the claim, clearly show the intention without any
ambiguity, and shall be said with certainty and without any doubt.
Article 205- The oath must be taken by [saying the] words; and, if it is not possible, it can be taken
in writing or by a gesture which is clear and shows the intention.
Article 206- In cases where the gesture is not understandable, or if the judge is unfamiliar with the
language of the person who takes the oath, the court shall discover his/her intention by using an
interpreter or expert.
Article 207- An oath shall be effective only in relation between the parties to the claim and their
successors.
Article 208- Hudud and tazirat cannot be proved or denied by an oath;
however, qisas, diya, arsh(unfixed type of compensation for bodily injuries), and losses and
damages resulting from the offense, can be proved by oath according to the provisions of this law.

Article 209- Where, in financial claims such as diya for bodily offenses, and also in claims which are
about claiming a sum of money such as a negligent or quasi-intentional bodily offense which must
be compensated by a diya, the private claimant is unable to provide an admissible evidence which
meets the requirements under Sharia, s/he [still] can produce one male witness or two female
witnesses together with an oath and prove the financial part of his/her claim.
Note- In the cases mentioned in this article, the witness who meets the requirements shall give
his/her testimony first and then the claimant shall take the oath.
Article 210- Where it is proved that an oath is a lie or the person who has taken an oath does not
meet the requirements prescribed by law, such an oath shall be inadmissible.
Chapter Five- Knowledge of the Judge
Article 211- Knowledge of the judge is defined as a certainty resulting from manifest evidence in a
matter brought before him. In cases where a judgment is based on the knowledge of the judge [as
the proof of the offense], he is obliged to stipulate in the judgment the manifest circumstantial and
hearsay evidence that has been the source of his knowledge.
Note- Means such as an expert opinion, examining the place, local inquiries, statements of people
aware [of an issue], reports of law enforcement officers, and other circumstantial and hearsay
evidence that typically results in knowledge [about a matter] can be referred to as sources of the
knowledge of the judge. In any event, a mere perceptive knowledge that typically does not result in
the knowledge of the judge cannot be regarded as a deciding factor in delivering a judgment.
Article 212- If the knowledge of the judge is contradictory to other legal evidence, if the knowledge
remains manifest [untouched], such evidence shall not be admissible for the judge, and the judge,
explaining the reasons for his knowledge and the grounds for rejecting other evidence, shall deliver
the judgment. If the judge does not arrive at certainty/knowledge, legal evidence shall be admissible
and he shall deliver the judgment on their basis.
Article 213- In [the case of] conflicting evidence, confession must be given priority over testimony
which meets the requirements under Sharia, qasameh, and oath. Also, testimony which meets the
requirements under Sharia must have priority over qasameh, and oath.
Part Six- Miscellaneous Issues
Article 214- An offender must return the same property gained as a result of a crime to its owner,
and if the same property does not exist anymore s/he must return a similar one, and if it is not
possible to return a similar one, must pay its price to the owner, and [in all cases] must compensate
the damages. Where an offender must pay a sum of money as a criminal sentence, the priority must
be given to return the property [gained as a result of a crime] and compensation of private claimants.
Article 215- In case of issuance of orders of non-prosecution or cessation of persecution, the
interrogator or prosecutor shall decide what should be done with the property and the objects that
are found as the proof or instrument of the offense or acquired as a result of committing the offense
or have been, or intended to be, used during the offense, as whether they are to be returned or
confiscated or destroyed, whichever is appropriate. In case of confiscation, the court shall decide on

the property and objects. Furthermore, the interrogator or prosecuting attorney, at the request of the
beneficiary, shall issue the order of restoration of the abovementioned property and objects in
accordance with the following conditions:
(a) All or part of the objects and property that are not needed for the purpose of investigation or
legal procedure.
(b) The objects and property that are unclaimed [by a third party].
(c)

They are not among those objects or property subject to confiscation or destruction.

In all criminal cases, while issuing its judgment or order, or thereafter, whether convicting or
declaring the accused innocent or issuing the order for cessation of prosecution, the court shall issue
a judgment regarding the objects and property that are used as the instrument or acquired as a
result of the offense or have been, or were intended to be, used during the offense, in regards to
whether they should be returned or confiscated or destroyed.
Note 1 -The person affected by the order of interrogator or prosecutor or by the judgment or order of
the court, according to the regulations, may file a complaint to the criminal court and request a
review of their decisions on the objects and property cited in this article; even though the order or
judgment of the court regarding the criminal aspect is not challengeable.
Note 2 -The property, for which its maintenance requires undue expense by the government or
causes its decay or gross loss of value, and for which preservation of the property is not necessary
for the judicial procedure, as well as perishable properties, shall be sold at the price of the day, by
the order of the public prosecutor or the court; and the proceedings shall be deposited in the account
of the judicial administration until the final determination is made.
Article 216- Execution of hadd, qisas, and tazir punishments shall be in accordance with
regulations that shall be prepared and served by the Head of Judiciary within six months after this
law comes into force.
BOOK TWO HUDUD
Part One- General Articles
Article 217- In cases of offenses punishable by hadd, the offender shall be liable only if, in addition
to having knowledge, intention, and meeting the requirements for criminal responsibility, is aware of
the prohibition of the conduct committed under Sharia rules.
Article 218- In the cases of offenses punishable by hadd, if the accused claims that s/he, at the time
of commission of the offense, did not have the knowledge or intention [to commit the offense], or [if
s/he claims that] one of the obstacles to criminal liability exists, in the case that there is the likelihood
of veracity of the claim, or if s/he claims that his/her confession has been made under threat or fear
or torture, the claim shall be accepted without [resorting to] testimonies and oaths.
Note 1- In the cases of offenses of moharebeh, efsad-e-fel-arz, and indecent offenses committed by
coercion, force, abduction, or deception, a mere claim cannot remove the hadd punishment and the
court must carry out examination and investigation.
Note 2- Confession shall be admissible only if made before the judge in the court.

Article 219- The court cannot change the conditions, type, and amount of hadd punishments or
reduce or replace, or remove the [hadd] punishment. Such punishments can only be removed,
reduced, or replaced through repentance and pardon under the conditions prescribed in this law.
Article 220- Regarding the hadd punishments that are not mentioned in this law Article one hundred
and sixty seven (167) of the Islamic Republic of Irans Constitution shall be applicable.
Part Two- Offenses punishable by Hadd
Chapter One- Zina
Article 221- Zina is defined as sexual intercourse of a man and a woman who are not married to
each other, and also provided that the intercourse is not done by mistake.
Note 1- A sexual intercourse occurs when the sex organ (penis) of a man, up to the point of
circumcision, enters into the vagina or anus of a woman.
Note 2- If both parties or one of them are non-pubescent, zina occurs but for the non-pubescent
[party(parties)] the hadd punishment shall not be given, but instead they shall be sentenced to
security and correctional measures mentioned in the first book of this law.
Article 222- Sexual intercourse with a dead person shall be regarded as zina, unless a husband has
sexual intercourse with his deceased wife, which is not zina; but, shall be punishable by thirty one to
seventy four lashes of tazir punishment of the sixth grade.
Article 223- Where a person who is charged with zina, claims that s/he has been married to the
other party or he has engaged in intercourse as a result of a mistake, his/her claim shall be accepted
without [resorting to] testimonies and oaths, unless it is proved otherwise by an ultimate proof that
meets the requirements under Sharia.
Article 224- In the following cases the hadd punishment for zina is the death penalty:
(a) Zina with blood relatives who are prohibited to marry.
(b) Zina with a step-mother; in which case, the man who committed zina shall be sentenced to the
death penalty.
(c)

Zina of a non-Muslim man with a Muslim woman; in which case, the man who

committed zina shall be sentenced to the death penalty.

(d) Zina committed by coercion or force [i.e. rape]; in which case, the man who committedzina by
coercion or force shall be sentenced to the death penalty.
Note 1- Punishment of the woman who has committed zina in paragraphs (b) and (c) shall be in
accordance with other provisions of zina.
Note 2- The conduct of anyone who commits zina with a woman who did not consent to engage
inzina with him, while she is unconscious, asleep, or drunk, shall be regarded as zina committed by
coercion [i.e. rape]. In cases of zina by deceiving and enticing a non-pubescent girl, or by abducting,
threatening, or intimidating a woman, even if she surrenders herself as a result of that, the
abovementioned rule shall apply.
Article 225- The hadd punishment for zina of a man and a woman who meet the conditions
ofihsan shall be stoning to death. Where the execution of stoning is not possible, upon proposal of

the court of final judgment and approval of the Head of Judiciary, if the offense is proved by
testimony of witnesses, the man and a woman who have committed zina and meet the conditions
of ihsan shall be sentenced to the death penalty [hanging]; otherwise, each one of them shall be
given one hundred lashes.
Article 226- Ihsan shall be established for both men and women according to the following:
(a) Ihsan of a man is defined as a status that a man is married to a permanent and pubescent wife
and has had vaginal intercourse with her whilst he has been sane and pubescent and can have
vaginal intercourse with her whenever he so wishes.
(b) Ihsan of a woman is defined as a status that a woman who is married to her permanent and
pubescent husband and the husband has had vaginal intercourse with her whilst she was sane and
pubescent and she is able to have vaginal intercourse with her husband.
Article 227- The parties to a marriage shall not meet the conditions of ihsan [mentioned in article
226] during periods such as travel, imprisonment, menstruation, lochia, any illness that prevents
sexual intercourse, or any illness that puts the other party at risk such as AIDS and syphilis.
Article 228- In the case of a zina with blood relatives who are prohibited to marry and a zina that the
offender meets the conditions of ihsan, if the woman who has committed zina is pubescent and the
man who has committed zina is non-pubescent, the woman shall only be sentenced to one hundred
lashes.
Article 229- If a man who is married to his permanent wife commits zina prior to any sexual
intercourse [with his wife], he shall be sentenced to the hadd punishment of one hundred lashes and
shaving his head, and banishment for one year.
Article 230- In cases where the offender does not meet the conditions of ihsan [mentioned in article
227], the hadd punishment for zina shall be one hundred lashes.
Article 231- In the case of zina committed by coercion or force [i.e. rape], if the woman is a virgin,
the offender, in addition to the punishment provided, shall be convicted to pay the compensation for
virginity and a mahr-ul-methl (a type of mahr that shall be paid to a woman at the rate payable for
other women in a similar position); and if she is not a virgin, the offender shall be sentenced to the
punishment and payment of a mahr-ul-methl.
Article 232- Where a man or woman confesses to zina less than four times, s/he shall be sentenced
to thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of tazir punishment of the sixth grade. The same punishment
mentioned in this article shall be applicable in the cases of livat, tafkhiz, andmusaheqeh.
Chapter Two- Livat, Tafkhiz, and Musaheqeh
Article 233- Livat is defined as penetration of a mans sex organ (penis), up to the point of
circumcision, into another male persons anus.
Article 234- The hadd punishment for livat shall be the death penalty for the insertive/active party if
he has committed livat by using force, coercion, or in cases where he meets the conditions forihsan;
otherwise, he shall be sentenced to one hundred lashes. The hadd punishment for the

receptive/passive party, in any case (whether or not he meets the conditions for ihsan) shall be the
death penalty.
Note 1- If the insertive/active party is a non-Muslim and the receptive/passive party is a Muslim,
the hadd punishment for the insertive/active party shall be the death penalty.
Note 2- Ihsan is defined as a status that a man is married to a permanent and pubescent wife and
whilst he has been sane and pubescent has had a vaginal intercourse with the same wife while she
was pubescent, and he can have an intercourse with her in the same way [vaginal] whenever he so
wishes.
Article 235- Tafkhiz is defined as putting a mans sex organ (penis) between the thighs or buttocks
of another male person.
Note- A penetration [of a penis into another male persons anus] that does not reach the point of
circumcision shall be regarded as tafkhiz.
Article 236- In the case of tafkhiz, the hadd punishment for the active and passive party shall be one
hundred lashes and it shall make no difference whether or not the offender meets the conditions
of ihsan [mentioned in note 2 of article 234], or whether or not [the offender] has resorted to
coercion.
Note- If the active party is a non-Muslim and the passive party is a Muslim, the hadd punishment for
the active party shall be the death penalty.
Article 237- Homosexual acts of a male person in cases other than livat and tafkhiz, such as kissing
or touching as a result of lust, shall be punishable by thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of tazir
punishment of the sixth grade.
Note 1- This article shall be equally applicable in the case of a female person.
Note 2- This article shall not be applicable in the cases punishable by a hadd punishment under
Sharia rules.
Article 238- Musaheqeh is defined as where a female person puts her sex organ on the sex organ
of another person of the same sex.
Article 239- The hadd punishment for musaheqeh shall be one hundred lashes.
Article 240- Regarding the hadd punishment for musaheqeh, there is no difference between the
active or passive parties or between Muslims and non-Muslims, or between a person that meets the
conditions for ihsan and a person who does not, and also whether or not [the offender] has resorted
to coercion.
Article 241- In the cases of indecent offenses, in the absence of admissible legal evidence and with
denial of the accused, any type of investigation and interrogation in order to discover hidden affairs
and things concealed from the public eye shall be prohibited. In cases with the possibility of
commission of an offense with force, coercion, assault, abduction, or deception, or cases which are
considered as commission [of an offense] with resorting to force, this rule shall not be applicable.
Chapter Three- Procuring/Pandering

Article 242- Procuring/pandering is defined as [the act of] connecting two or more people together in
order to commit zina or livat.
Note 1- The hadd punishment for procuring/pandering is subject to commission of the zina orlivat;
otherwise, the offender shall be punishable by the tazir punishment prescribed in article 244 of this
law.
Note 2- In procuring/pandering, reoccurrence of the act shall not be necessary for commission of the
offense.
Article 243- The hadd punishment for procuring/pandering is seventy-five lashes for men; and if
committed for the second time, in addition to the hadd punishment of seventy-five lashes, [the
offender] shall be sentenced to banishment from [his] area for a period of up to one year at the
discretion of the judge, and it is only seventy-five lashes for women.
Article 244- Anyone who connects two or more non-pubescent persons together in order to
commit zina or livat shall not be punishable by a hadd punishment but shall be sentenced to thirtyone to seventy-four lashes and a tazir imprisonment of the sixth degree.
Chapter Four- Qazf [false accusation of sexual offenses]
Article 245- Qazf is defined as a false accusation of zina or livat against someone else, even a dead
person.
Article 246- Qazf must be clear and unambiguous and the accuser must be aware of the meaning of
the word and have the intention to accuse, even though the victim, or listener, to theqazf, are not
aware of its content at the time of commission of the qazf.
Note- In addition to oral and written, a qazf can be committed by electronic means as well.
Article 247- If a person tells his/her legitimate child you are not my child, or, if they tell someone
elses legitimate child you are not your fathers child, it shall be considered as qazf against his/her
mother.
Note- If there is an indication that qazf is not intended, then, the hadd punishment shall not be given.
Article 249- If a person tells another person you have committed zina with that woman or livatwith
that man, s/he shall be only regarded as having committed a qazf against the addressee.
Article 250- The hadd punishment for qazf is eighty lashes.
Article 251- Qazf shall result in the hadd punishment when the person who is the subject of
theqazf is pubesecent, sane, Muslim, specified [by the offender], and it is not evident that s/he
commits zina or livat.
Note 1- If the person who is the subject of the qazf is non-pubescent, insane, non-Muslim, or
unspecified [by the offender], the offender shall be sentenced to thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of
tazir flogging of the sixth grade; however, it is not punishable to commit qazf against someone
where it is evident that s/he commits zina or livat.
Note 2- In the commission of qazf against someone where it is evident that s/he commits zina orlivat,
if s/he is accused of what is not evident about him/her, shall be punishable by the haddpunishment,
such as accusing someone of livat while it is evident that he commits zina.

Article 252- If a person, intending to accuse another person of zina or livat, uses different words
than zina or livat which clearly accuse the addressees wife, father, mother, sister, brother, etc
ofzina or livat, the accuser, in regards to the accused person [i.e. the wife or mother or sister], shall
be sentenced to the hadd punishment for qazf; and, in regards to the addressee who has been hurt
by the accusation, [the accuser] shall be sentenced to the punishment prescribed for insult.
Article 253- Anyone who accuses another person of zina or livat which are not punishable byhadd,
such as zina or livat under coercion or while s/he was non-pubescent, shall be sentenced to thirtyone to seventy-four lashes of tazir flogging of the sixth degree.
Article 254- It shall not be punishable to attribute zina or livat to a person who has been convicted to
the hadd punishment for the same zina or livat, provided that it is before the addressee repents.
Article 255- The hadd punishment prescribed for qazf is a haq-un-nas (claim of people) and its
prosecution and execution of the punishment shall be subject to the request of the victim of theqazf.
If the victim of the qazf forgives [the offender] at any stage, the prosecution, trial, and execution of
the punishment, whichever is applicable, shall be ceased.
Article 256- When a person commits qazf against more than one person separately, s/he shall
receive the hadd punishment for the qazf of each person separately, whether the victims ask
forhadd punishment together or separately.
Article 257- When a person, in the same statement, commits qazf against more than one person,
each victim can separately make a complaint and ask for execution of the punishments if given by
the court. However, if the victims of the qazf make a [collective] complaint together, s/he shall be
sentenced to only one hadd punishment.
Article 258- If [a person] commits qazf against another person one, or more, time(s), with the same
or different accusation(s), before the hadd punishment is executed, only one haddpunishment shall
be given; however, if s/he repeats the qazf after receiving the hadd punishment,
the hadd punishment shall be repeated, and if s/he insists what s/he said was right, s/he shall be
sentenced to thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of tazir flogging of the sixth degree.
Article 259- If a father or parental grandfather commits qazf against his child [or grandchild] he shall
be sentenced to thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of tazir flogging of the sixth degree.
Article 260- The hadd punishment for qazf, if neither executed nor forgiven by the victim, shall be
transferred to the heirs [after the victims death] but the wife or husband; and every one of the heirs
can request the prosecution or execution of hadd punishment, although the rest of the heirs have
forgiven.
Article 261- No matter at which stage the case is, the hadd punishment for qazf shall be removed in
the following cases:
(a) When the victim confirms the person who committed the qazf.
(b) When what is attributed to the victim of the qazf is proved either by testimony of witnesses or
knowledge of the judge.

(c)

When the victim of the qazf, and the case of his/her death, his/her heirs, forgive(s) [the

offender]
(d) When a man commits qazf against his wife and then carries out len [imprecation; a specific
religious procedure in which a husband accuses his wife of committing zina and imprecates himself
if he lies. As a result their marriage shall be terminated] accusing her of azina committed before or
during the marriage.
(e)

When two persons commit qazf against each other, whether their accusations are similar or

different.
Note- The offenders of paragraph (e) shall be sentenced to thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of tazir
flogging of the sixth degree.
Chapter Five- Sabb-e nabi (Swearing at the Prophet)
Article 262- Anyone who swears at or commits qazf against the Great Prophet [of Islam] (peace be
upon him) or any of the Great Prophets, shall be considered as Sb ul-nabi [a person who swears at
the Prophet], and shall be sentenced to the death penalty.
Note- Commission of qazf against, or swearing at, the [twelve] Shiite Imams (peace be upon them)
or the Holy Fatima (peace be upon her) shall be regarded as Sab-e nabi.
Article 263- When the accused of a sabb-e nabi (swearing at the Prophet) claims that his/her
statements have been under coercion or mistake, or in a state of drunkenness, or anger or slip of the
tongue, or without paying attention to the meaning of the words, or quoting someone else, then s/he
shall not be considered as Sb ul-nabi [a person who swears at the Prophet].
Note- When a sabb-e nabi (swearing at the Prophet) is committed in the state of drunkenness, or
anger or quoting someone else, if it is considered to be an insult, the offender shall be sentenced to
a tazir punishment of up to seventy-four lashes.
Chapter Six- Consumption of intoxicants
Article 264- Consuming, including drinking, injecting, smoking, etc, of an intoxicant, whether [the
amount] is a little or a lot, fluid or solid, intoxicated or not, pure or mixed, provided that the mixture
does not exceed a certain limit so that it is not intoxicating any longer, shall be punishable by
thehadd punishment.
Note- Consuming beer shall be punishable by the hadd punishment, even if it does not result in
drunkenness.
Article 265- The hadd punishment for consumption of intoxicants is eighty lashes.
Article 266- A non-Muslim shall be sentenced to the hadd punishment only if s/he publicly consumes
intoxicants.
Note- If consumption of alcohol by non-Muslims is not committed in public, but if the offender
appears in public roads and places while s/he is drunk, he shall be sentenced to the punishment
prescribed for openly committing a harm (sinful) act [art 638 of the Fifth Book].
Chapter Seven- Theft
Article 267- Theft is defined as stealing someone elses property.

Article 268- Theft shall be punishable by hadd punishment provided that all the following conditions
are met:
(a) The stolen property has a legitimate value.
(b) The stolen property was placed in herz [a secure place]
(c)

The thief breached the herz [the secure place].

(d) The thief takes out the property from the herz [the secure place].
(e)

The theft and breaching the herz [the secure place] are committed secretly.

(f)

The thief was not the father or paternal grandfather of the owner.

(g) The stolen property, at the time it was taken out from the herz [the secure place] has a value
equal to four and a half nokhod [a traditional unit of weight] of coined gold [equal to 0.87 g]
(h) The stolen property is not the property of the government or a public property or a public
endowment or an endowment for public good.
(i)

The theft was not committed in a time of famine

(j)

The owner of the property makes a complaint against the thief before judicial bodies

(k) The owner of the property has not forgiven the thief prior to the proof of the theft
(l)
(m)

The stolen property is not returned to the owner prior to the proof of the theft
The stolen property is not entered into the thiefs ownership prior to the proof of offense

(n) The stolen property has not been gained through theft or usurpation
Article 269- Herz is defined as an appropriate place where the property is conventionally/reasonably
secure from theft.
Article 270- If the place of keeping the property has been usurped from a person, it shall not be
regarded as herz in relation to him/her and those who are authorized by him/her to have access to
that place.
Article 271- Breach of herz is defined as an unlawful/unauthorized breach of a herz which can be
committed through destroying or climbing a wall, opening or breaking a lock, and the like.
Article 272- If a person takes out the property from the herz by an insane person or a nondiscerning child or an animal or any intention-less tool, s/he shall be regarded as the principal to the
offense; and if the principal to the offense is a discerning child the conduct of the person who has
issued the command(s) shall be punishable by the punishment prescribed for tazir thefts.
Article 273- If a property is placed in more than one herz, the offense is accomplished when the
property is taken out from the most exterior herz.
Article 274- The minimum value of the stolen property [prescribed in paragraph (g) of article 268]
must be stolen in a single theft.
Article 275- If two or more persons steal a property together, the share of each person shall reach
the minimum value of the stolen property [prescribed in paragraph (g) of article 268].
Article 276- If a theft does not meet the conditions of the hadd punishment, it shall be punishable by
the punishment prescribed for tazir thefts.

Article 277- If a partner, or owner of right, in a property, steals more than his/her share, and the
extra amount reaches the minimum value of the stolen property [prescribed in paragraph (g) of
article 268] s/he shall be sentenced to the hadd punishment.
Article 278- The hadd punishment for theft is as follows:
(a) On the first occasion, amputation of the full length of four fingers of the right hand of the thief in
such a manner that the thumb and palm of the hand remain.
(b) On the second occasion, amputation of the left foot from the end of the knob [on the foot] in
such a manner that half of the sole and part of the place of anointing [during ablution] remain.
(c)

On the third occasion, life imprisonment.

(d) On the fourth occasion, the death penalty even though the theft is committed in prison.
Note 1- When the thief is lacking the limb which shall be amputated, s/he shall be sentenced to the
punishment prescribed for tazir thefts.
Note 2- Regarding paragraph (c) of this article and other thefts that do not fall under the category of
tazir, if the offender repents during the execution of the punishment, and the Supreme Leader
agrees with his/her release, s/he shall be pardoned and released. In addition the Supreme Leader
can replace his/her punishment with another tazir punishment.
Chapter Eight- Moharebeh
Article 279- Moharebeh is defined as drawing a weapon on the life, property or chastity of people or
to cause terror as it creates the atmosphere of insecurity. When a person draws a weapon on one or
several specific persons because of personal enmities and his act is not against the public, and also
a person who draws a weapon on people, but, due to inability does not cause insecurity, shall not be
considered as a mohareb [i.e. a person who commits moharebeh].
Article 280- Any person or group that resorts to weapons in order to fight with moharebs shall not be
considered as a mohareb.
Article 281- Robbers, thieves, or smugglers who resort to weapons and disrupt public security or the
security of roads, shall be considered as a mohareb.
Article 282- The hadd punishment for moharebeh is one of the following four punishments:
(a) The death penalty (hanging)
(b) Crucifixion
(c)

Amputation of right hand and left foot

(d) Banishment
Article 283- The judge has the discretion of choosing one of the four punishments prescribed in
article 282.
Article 284- In any case, the length of the banishment shall not be less than one year even though
the mohareb has repented after arrest; and if s/he does not repent s/he shall remain banished.
Article 285- In the case of banishment, the mohareb shall be put under supervision and be banned
from associating, contacting, and socializing with other people.
Chapter Nine- Baq (Rebellion) and Efsad-e-fel-arz (Corruption on Earth)

Article 286- Any person, who extensively commits felony against the bodily entity of people,
offenses against internal or international security of the state, spreading lies, disruption of the
economic system of the state, arson and destruction of properties, distribution of poisonous and
bacterial and dangerous materials, and establishment of, or aiding and abetting in, places of
corruption and prostitution, [on a scale] that causes severe disruption in the public order of the state
and insecurity, or causes harsh damage to the bodily entity of people or public or private properties,
or causes distribution of corruption and prostitution on a large scale, shall be considered as mofsede-fel-arz [corrupt on earth] and shall be sentenced to death.
Note- When, considering all the evidence and circumstances, the court does not establish the
intention to cause extensive disruption in the public order, or creating insecurity, or causing vast
damage or spreading corruption and prostitution in a large scale, or the knowledge of effectiveness
of the acts committed, provided that the offense committed is not punishable under the title of a
different offense, it shall sentence the offender to a tazir imprisonment of the fifth or sixth degree,
considering the harmful consequences of the offense.
Article 287- Any group that wages armed rebellion against the state of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
shall be regarded as moharebs, and if they use [their] weapon, its members shall be sentenced to
the death penalty.
Article 288- When members of the rebel group are arrested before any conflict occurs or a weapon
is used, if the organization or core of that group exists, they shall be sentenced to a tazir
imprisonment of the third degree, and if the organization or core of that group cease to exist, they
shall be sentenced to a tazir imprisonment of the fifth degree.

he previous version and this text is what is in force today.

Chapter One- Crimes against the national and foreign security of the State
Chapter Two- Insulting sacred religious values and criminal attempt on national authorities
Chapter Three- Attempt on the lives of foreign diplomatic officials
Chapter Four- Producing and distributing fake coins
Chapter Five- Forging and counterfeiting
Chapter Six- Removing or breaking a seal and stealing documents from governmental places
Chapter Seven- Escape of prisoners and concealment of offenders
Chapter Eight- Impersonation of officials and offices
Chapter Nine- Destruction of historical and cultural assets
Chapter Ten- Offenses of government officials and agents

Chapter Eleven- Bribery, Usury and Fraud

Chapter Twelve- Refusing to carry out legal duties
Chapter Thirteen- Offenses of civil servants against government
Chapter Fourteen- Defying state agents
Chapter Fifteen- Insulting other individuals
Chapter Sixteen- Conspiracy and collusion to commit a crime
Chapter Seventeen- Crimes against people and children
Chapter Eighteen- Crimes against public prudency and morality
Chapter Nineteen- Crimes against family rights and responsibilities
Chapter Twenty- Perjury and revealing secrets
Chapter Twenty One- Theft and stealing other peoples property
Chapter Twenty Two- Threatening and coercing
Chapter Twenty Three- Bankruptcy
Chapter Twenty Four- Breach of trust
Chapter Twenty Five- Arson and destruction of property and animals
Chapter Twenty Six- Violating and trespassing other peoples houses and estates
Chapter Twenty Seven- Libel and Insult and Dishonoring
Chapter Twenty Eight- Public consumption of alcoholic beverages and gambling and
tramping
Chapter Twenty Nine- Traffic Crimes
Incorporating all amendments up to January 2012
Adopted by the Legal Affairs Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Tuesday
30/07/1991
Book Five- Tazir and Deterring Punishments
Chapter One- Crimes against the national and foreign security of the State
Article 498 Anyone, with any ideology, who establishes or directs a group, society, or branch,
inside or outside the country, with any name or title, that constitutes more than two individuals and
aims to perturb the security of the country, if not considered as mohareb, shall be sentenced to two
to ten years imprisonment.
Article 499- Anyone who joins, as a member, any of the groups, societies, or branches
aforementioned in article 498, shall be sentenced to three months to five years imprisonment,
unless it is proved that he had been unaware of its aims.
Article 500- Anyone who engages in any type of propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran or
in support of opposition groups and associations, shall be sentenced to three months to one year of
imprisonment.
Article 501- Anyone who, knowingly and intentionally, provides maps or secrets or documents and
decisions regarding the national or international policies of the State to those who are not authorized

to have access, or who informs them about their content in a way that constitutes espionage, taking
into consideration the circumstances and stages [of the crime], shall be sentenced to one to ten
years imprisonment.
Article 502- Anyone who commits one of the espionage crimes inside Iran in favor of a foreign State
and against another foreign State, if damages the national security [of Iran] shall be sentenced to
one to five years imprisonment.
Article 503- Anyone who enters [political or military or security] places with the intent to steal or
draw maps or gather information about political or military or security secrets, and also those who
are arrested while drawing maps or filming or taking pictures from military bastions or prohibited
places, shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment.
Article 504- Anyone who effectively encourages combatants or those in military forces to rebel,
escape, surrender, or disobey military orders, with the intention to overthrow the government or to
defeat national forces against the enemy, shall be considered as mohareb; otherwise [if he does not
possess the intention] if his acts are effective he shall be sentenced to two to ten years, and if not, to
six months to three years imprisonment.
Article 505- Anyone who, with the intention to disrupt national security, gathers information through
any means under the cover of State authorities or government officials, if they intend to provide them
to others shall be sentenced to two to ten years imprisonment [if successful], and otherwise to one
to five years imprisonment [if unsuccessful].
Article 506- If, due to their negligence and disregarding security protocols, government officials who
are responsible for classified security and intelligence affairs and have received the required training
reveal information to enemies, they shall be sentenced to one to six months imprisonment.
Article 507- Anyone who is a member of corrupt groups or among those who act against national
security, provided that he is not in a leading position and before being prosecuted, reports the plot
and names of those engaged in the conspiracy and corruption to the officials, or cooperates
effectively with the officials after he is prosecuted, shall be exempted from punishment; and if he has
personally committed another crime, he shall be only sentenced for that crime.
Article 508- Anyone who cooperates by any means with foreign States against the Islamic Republic
of Iran, if not considered as mohareb, shall be sentenced to one to ten years imprisonment.
Article 509- Anyone who during wartime commits one of the crimes against national and foreign
security of the State mentioned in this chapter, shall be sentenced to the highest punishment
prescribed for the same crime.
Article 510- Anyone who, with the intent to disrupt national security or aid the enemy, recognizes
and hides, or assists in hiding, spies who have a mission to gather information or cause damage to
the country, shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment.
Note- Anyone who, without spying or hiding spies, identifies and attracts some people by any means
and introduces them to enemy States or foreign countries for espionage purposes against the

national security [of the Islamic Republic of Iran] shall be sentenced to six months to two years
imprisonment.
Article 511- Anyone who, with the intent to disrupt national security and disturb public opinion,
threatens to plant bombs in an airplane, ship, and/or other public means of transportation, or claims
that the aforementioned means of transportation have been rigged with bomb(s), in addition to
compensation for damages caused to the government and people, shall be sentenced to six months
to two years imprisonment.
Article 512- Anyone who, with the intent to disrupt national security, induces or encourages people
to war with one another and slaughter each other, regardless of whether or not [such actions] cause
murder and ravage, shall be sentenced to one to five years imprisonment.
Note- Where it can be proven that the accused repented [for their actions] before being caught by
the State, articles (508) and (509) and (512) are not applicable.
Chapter Two- Insulting sacred religious values and criminal attempt on national authorities
Article 513- Anyone who insults the sacred values of Islam or any of the Great Prophets or [twelve]
Shiite Imams or the Holy Fatima, if considered as Saab ul-nabi [as having committed actions
warranting the hadd punishment for insulting the Prophet], shall be executed; otherwise, they shall
be sentenced to one to five years imprisonment.
Article 514- Anyone who, by any means, insults Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic
Republic, and/or the Supreme Leader shall be sentenced to six months to two years imprisonment.
Article 515- Anyone who makes an attempt on the lives of the Supreme Leader or the Heads of
Powers [of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature] or the Grand Ayatollahs, if not considered
asmohareb, shall be sentenced to three to ten years imprisonment.
Chapter Three- Attempt on the lives of foreign diplomatic officials
Article 516- Anyone who makes an attempt on the life of a foreign Head of State, or its Diplomatic
Representative, in the jurisdiction of Iran, shall be sentenced to the same punishment mentioned in
article (515), subject to the mutual treatment by the same State towards Iran; but, if a lighter
punishment is prescribed, the same punishment shall be imposed.
Article 517- Anyone who publically insults a foreign Head of State, or its Diplomatic Representative,
who enter the territory of Iran, shall be sentenced to one month imprisonment, subject to the mutual
treatment by the same State towards Iran.
Note- The application of the articles of this chapter is subject to the request of the relevant State or
its diplomatic representative, or the victim or his guardian. The Prosecution shall be stopped if the
complaint is withdrawn.
Chapter Four- Producing and distributing fake coins
Article 518- Anyone who produces, or deliberately imports into the country, or buys or sells any kind
of counterfeit domestic or foreign gold or silver coin, such as coins from Irans previous

governments, or the Lira or other exchangeable currencies, or distributes any fake coins shall be
sentenced to one to ten years imprisonment.
Article 519- Anyone who, with the intention of deception, detracts from the weight of Iranian or
foreign gold or silver coins by any means such as scraping, cutting and the like, or knowingly and
deliberately engages in the distribution of such coins, or imports them into the country, shall be
sentenced to one to three years imprisonment.
Article 520- Anyone who produces any kind of counterfeit domestic or foreign current coins other
than gold or silver, or, knowingly and deliberately, imports them into the country, or engages in the
distribution of such coins, or buys or sells them, shall be sentenced to one to three years
imprisonment.
Article 521- When the individuals who commit the crimes mentioned in articles (518) and (519) and
(520) inform the authorities before the crime is discovered, or facilitate the arrest of others by their
confession while the prosecution is carried out, or effectively aid and guide the government
authorities, by proposal of Director of the Judicial District and agreement of the court, or at the
discretion of the court, their punishment shall be duly mitigated, and if appropriate they shall be
exempted from imprisonment; unless it is proved that they repented [for the crime] prior to their
arrest, in which case they shall be exempted from all said punishments.
Article 522- In addition to the punishments mentioned in articles (518) and (519) and (520), the
property acquired as a result of the commission of the said offences shall be confiscated.
Chapter Five- Forging and counterfeiting
Article 523- Forging and counterfeiting are defined as producing a writing or document or producing
an official or non-official persons stamp or signature, scratching or tampering or adding or erasing or
generating or crossing out or changing the date in comparison to the actual date or enclosing a
writing to another writing or using someone elses stamp without their permission, and the like, with
the intention of deception.
Article 524- Anyone who forges the orders or signature or stamp or handwriting of the Supreme
Leader or the Heads of Powers [of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature] in respect to their official
position, or uses [the aforementioned] with knowledge of the forgery and counterfeit, shall be
sentenced to three to fifteen years imprisonment.
Article 525- Anyone who forges one of the following or uses or imports them into the country while
being aware of the forgery and counterfeit, in addition to compensation for damages, shall be
sentenced to one to ten years imprisonment.
1- Orders or signature or stamp of the First Deputy of the President of the State, or Ministers, or
stamp or signature of the Members of the Guardian Council or Members of Parliament or Council of
Experts or Judges or any one of the chairpersons or civil servants and officials in respect to their
official position.

2- Seal or stamp or emblem of one of the governmental companies or organizations or departments

or Islamic revolutionary bodies.
3- Verdicts of courts or documents or bills issued by the National Treasury.
4- Seal or mark used for determining the purity of Gold and silver.
5- Domestic or foreign currencies or bank bills such as accepted bills of exchange by banks or
checks issued by banks and other types of binding bank instruments.
Note- Anyone who, deliberately and without holding the required documents and official domestic
and foreign permission, and with the intent to inspire doubts in the quality of products and services,
uses the title and emblem of national or international standards shall be sentenced to the maximum
punishment prescribed in this article.
Article 526- Anyone who, with the intent to disrupt the banking system or financial or economic
situation or to disrupt the political and social system and security [of the country], forges domestic or
foreign currencies or bank bills such as accepted bills of exchange by banks or checks issued by
banks and other types of binding bank instruments and documents or bills issued by the National
Treasury, or imports them into the country or uses them with the knowledge that they are fake, if he
is not considered as mofsed or mohareb, shall be sentenced to five to twenty years imprisonment.
Article 527- Anyone who forges certificates of studying or graduation or transcripts of universities
and higher education organizations inside or outside the country or certificates of evaluation of
foreign degrees, or uses them with the knowledge that they are fake, in addition to compensation for
damages, shall be sentenced to one to three years imprisonment. If the perpetrator is an employee
of Ministries or those organizations and institutes that belong to the government or municipalities or
Islamic revolutionary bodies, or if by any means takes part in the forgery or in using the fake
documents, then he shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment.
Article 528- Anyone who forges the stamp or seal of any non-governmental organizations or public
bodies such as municipalities, or uses them with the knowledge that they are fake, in addition to
compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment.
Article 529- Anyone who forges the stamp or seal of any non-governmental company established
according to law or enterprise, or uses them with the knowledge that they are fake, in addition to
compensation for damages, shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment.
Article 530- Anyone who acquires the seal or stamp of the organizations or companies or
enterprises referred to in the articles above, and abuses them in a way that damages their rights and
interests, or causes their abuse, in addition to compensation for damages, shall be sentenced to two
months to two years imprisonment.
Article 531- If anyone who has committed one of the crimes referred to in the articles above informs
the government [of the crime] before their prosecution and exposes other perpetrators, if any, or
cooperates in arresting them after the prosecution is started, their punishment shall be mitigated or
they shall exempted from punishment respectively.

Article 532- Any civil servant and government official who, when carrying out their duties, tampers
with orders and writings and documents and certificates and books and other types of official writings
and documents (for instance if they generate a signature or stamp or make changes in a signature
or stamp or to the content or add a word or change peoples names), in addition to disciplinary
punishments and compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to one to five years
imprisonment or a fine of six to thirty million Rials.
Article 533- If individuals who are not civil servants or government officials, commit any of the
crimes referred to in the previous article, in addition to compensation of the damages, they shall be
sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment or a fine of three to eighteen million Rials.
Article 534- If any civil servant of government departments and judicial bodies and anyone
responsible for public services, commits forgery of documents in respect to their duties, including in
cases where they change the topic or content of those documents, or tamper with written or oral
statements of official authorities or the stamp or wording of the parties or present something void as
valid or vice versa or something which is not admitted as admitted, in addition to disciplinary
punishments and compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to one to five years
imprisonment or a fine of six to thirty million Rials.
Article 535- Anyone who uses the forged documents referred to in articles (532) and (533) and
(534) with the knowledge that they are fake, in addition to compensation of the damages, shall be
sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment or a fine of three to eighteen million Rials.
Article 536- Anyone who forges non-official documents or uses them with the knowledge that they
are fake, in addition to compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to six months to two years
imprisonment or a fine of three to twelve million Rials.
Article 537- If taking pictures of ID cards or personal identity documents and governmental and
public documents and the like, causes confusion with the originals, they shall be marked with a
stamp or mark to show that it is a duplicate copy or picture; otherwise, it shall be considered as a
forgery and the producers and users of such documents who knowingly and deliberately use them
as originals, in addition to compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to six months to two
years imprisonment or a fine of three to twelve million Rials.
Article 538- Anyone who, whether personally or through someone else, forges a medical certificate
with the intent to acquire exemption from public or military service or in order to submit to the court
shall be sentenced to six months to one years imprisonment or a fine of three to six million Rials.
Article 539- When a medical doctor issues a false certificate to exempt someone from public or
military service or in order to submit to judicial bodies, he shall be sentenced to six months to two
years imprisonment or a fine of three to twelve million Rials. And when such certificate is used to
acquire money, in addition to taking the money back and confiscating the money as a fine, he shall
be sentenced to the punishment prescribed for being the recipient of a bribe.

Article 540- In the cases of other false certificates which cause damage to a third party or the
National Treasury, the offender shall be sentenced to up to 74 lashes or a fine of two hundred
thousand to two million Rials.
Article 541- Anyone other than the main applicant who sits any exams including entrance exams of
universities and higher education institutes, teachers universities and training colleges, exams for
sending students abroad to study, or internal or final exams of the aforementioned organizations or
exams of high schools, secondary schools, technical schools, etc, the offender and applicant, in
addition to disciplinary punishments, shall be sentenced to a fine of two hundred to one million Rials.
Article 542- The punishment for attempting to forge and counterfeit referred to in this chapter shall
be the minimum punishment prescribed for the same crime.
Chapter Six- Removing or breaking a seal and stealing documents from governmental places
Article 543- When a place, or anything, is sealed in accordance with the order of competent
officials, and someone knowingly and deliberately breaks or removes the seal, or commits an act
that is considered as removing or breaking the seal, he shall be sentenced to three months to two
years imprisonment.
If the keeper commits the [abovementioned] crime, he shall be sentenced to one to two years
imprisonment. In case the crime is committed as a result of the keepers negligence, he shall be
sentenced to one month to six months imprisonment or up to 74 lashes.
Article 544- When the writings or documents or booklets or notes that are recorded in official
registers or kept in official places or entrusted to officials responsible for keeping them, are, wholly or
in part, stolen or damaged or unlawfully destroyed, the bookkeeper and the clerk responsible for
recording and keeping the aforementioned documents, as well as other individuals whose
negligence resulted in the commission of the crime, shall be sentenced to six months to two years
imprisonment.
Article 545- The offenders of the crimes mentioned in the above article shall be sentenced to three
to six months imprisonment; and if the keeper or trustee commits one of the abovementioned crimes
he shall be sentenced to three to ten years imprisonment.
Article 546- When the offender forcibly removes or breaks the seal or commits an act that is
considered as removing or breaking the seal, or steals or destroys the writing or documents, he shall
be sentenced to the abovementioned punishments accordingly. This punishment does not interfere
with the punishment of [other] crimes resulting from the use of force and severity.
Chapter Seven- Escape of prisoners and concealment of offenders
Article 547- Any prisoner who escapes from a prison or detention center shall be sentenced to 74
lashes or three to six months imprisonment; and if he has broken or damaged the prisons gate, in
addition to compensation of the damages, he shall be sentenced to both punishments.

Note- Prisoners who are on furlough in accordance with the regulations of prisons, but, without a
reasonable excuse, do not return to the prison at the ordered time, shall be regarded as fugitives
and sentenced to the abovementioned punishment.
Article 548- When an accused person or a prisoner escapes as a result of recklessness or
negligence of the officer who was responsible for guarding or escorting him, the abovementioned
officer shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment or a fine of three to eighteen
million Rials.
Article 549- When an officer who is responsible for guarding or escorting a prisoner or detainee aids
or facilitates or colludes in the escape [of the prisoner], he shall be sentenced according to the
following:
A - If the detainee is accused of a crime that is punishable by execution, stoning or crucifixion or if he
is a prisoner convicted to these punishments, [the offending official] shall be sentenced to three to
ten years imprisonment; and if the prisoner is convicted to ten years imprisonment or more, or if the
detainee is accused of a crime punishable by more than ten years imprisonment, he shall be
sentenced to one to five years imprisonment; and in cases other than the abovementioned, he shall
be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment.
B - If the prisoner is convicted to qisas or the detainee is accused of a crime punishable byqisas the
individual responsible for his escape is obliged to turn him in, otherwise he shall be imprisoned until
[the prisoner] is turned in. If the accused person is tried and acquitted in absentia, or if the homicide
is determined as quasi-deliberate or accidental, the individual responsible for escape shall be
sentenced to the punishment mentioned in paragraph A; and if the fugitive dies, or if it becomes
impossible to turn him in, in cases where [the fugitive] is convicted to qisas, the individual
responsible for his escape shall pay the diya to the blood owners of the victim.
C - If the accused or convict person who is escaped is convicted [or accused] of a financial crime
or diya, the individual responsible for escape, in addition to the punishment mentioned in paragraph
A, shall pay the relevant diya or debt.
Article 550- Any civil servants or officers who are ordered to arrest an individual and act recklessly
and negligently shall be sentenced to a fine of one hundred to five hundred Rials; and if the
recklessness and negligence was intended to aid the escape of the prisoner and resulted in his
escape, in addition to the aforementioned fine, shall be sentenced to six months to three years
imprisonment.
Article 551- If the individual responsible for escape is not one of the officers mentioned in article
549, and deliberately aids the escape of persons imprisoned or detained under law, he shall be
sentenced according to the following:
A - If the prisoner is sentenced to execution, stoning or crucifixion, the individual responsible for the
escape shall be sentenced to one to three years imprisonment; and if the prisoner is accused of a
crime punishable by execution, stoning or crucifixion, he shall be sentenced to six months to two

years imprisonment; and in cases other than the abovementioned, he shall be sentenced to three
months to one year of imprisonment.
B - If the prisoner is sentenced to qisas, the individual responsible for the escape is obliged to turn
him in otherwise he shall be imprisoned until [the prisoner] is turned in. If the fugitive dies, or if it
becomes impossible to turn him in, the individual responsible for his escape shall pay the diya to the
blood owners of the victim.
Article 552- Anyone who arms a prisoner or detainee with a gun in order to aid [the prisoners]
escape shall be sentenced to two to five years imprisonment.
Article 553- Anyone who hides, or aids the escape of, a fugitive of the law or an accused person
whose arrest is ordered shall be sentenced according to the following:
When the fugitive is sentenced to execution, stoning or crucifixion or qisas or amputation of limb, the
individual responsible for the escape shall be sentenced to one to three years imprisonment; and if
the fugitive is sentenced to life imprisonment or accused of a crime punishable by execution or
crucifixion, he shall be sentenced to six months to two years imprisonment; and in cases other than
the abovementioned, he shall be sentenced to one month to one year of imprisonment.
Note- If it is proved in a court of law that the individual responsible for the escape or concealment of
the fugitive truly believes in his innocence, he shall be exempted from the punishment.
Article 554- Anyone who becomes aware of a crime and aids the offender to escape from trial and
conviction, for instance by harboring him in a place, or concealing the evidence of the crime, or
presenting fake evidence in order to acquit the offender, shall be sentenced accordingly to one to
three years imprisonment.
Note- In the cases mentioned in article 553 and this article, if the offender is amongst the first-degree
relatives of the accused person, the punishment shall not exceed half of the prescribed punishment.
Chapter Eight- Impersonation of officials and offices
Article 555- Anyone who, without an official position or permission from the government, interferes
with or introduces himself as holding official governmental, military and police offices, shall be
sentenced to six months to two years imprisonment; and if he has forged a document in order to
interfere or introduce himself in the abovementioned offices, he shall additionally be sentenced to
the punishment prescribed for forgery.
Article 556- Anyone who, publically and without permission, uses official uniforms of the military or
police forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or badges or medallions or other state grants, without,
or with little, changes that cause confusion, if his act is not subject to a harsher punishment under
another law, shall be sentenced to three months to one years imprisonment or a fine of one million
and five hundred thousand Rials to six million Rials. And if he has taken advantage of his illegal act,
he shall be sentenced to both punishments.
Note- Using the abovementioned uniforms and objects in theatrical arts shall not be subject to this
article.

Article 557- Anyone who, publically and without permission, uses the official uniforms of foreign
officers, or badges or medallions, or other grants of foreign states, in Iran, subject to mutual
treatment [by the foreign state], or if the act disrupts the public order, shall be subject to the article
above.
Chapter Nine- Destruction of historical and cultural assets
Article 558- Anyone who damages whole or part of any cultural, historical or religious buildings,
places and sites which are listed as national heritage, or any decorations, attachments, facilities,
objects and instruments and drawings and pictures installed or located in these places which
independently hold cultural, historical, or religious features, in addition to compensation of damages,
shall be sentenced to one to ten years imprisonment.
Article 559- Anyone who steals objects and instruments and also materials and pieces of cultural
and historical assets, from museums or galleries, or historical and religious sites and other places
protected or supervised by the government, or buys or conceals the aforementioned objects while
being aware that they are stolen, if he is not punishable by the hadd punishment for stealing, in
addition to its restitution, shall be sentenced to one to five years imprisonment.
Article 560- Anyone who, without permission from Irans Cultural Heritage Organization, or by
violating the regulations adopted by this organization, proceeds to any operation in the bounds of
cultural and historical assets mentioned in this article that makes their foundations unsteady, or as a
result of such operations the said assets and buildings are damaged or destroyed, in addition to
elimination of the operations effects and compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to one
to three years imprisonment.
Article 561- Any effort to take cultural and historical assets out of the country, even if unsuccessful,
shall be considered as trafficking and the offender, in addition to restitution of the assets, shall be
sentenced to one to three years imprisonment and a fine that is double the value of the assets.
Note- It is the responsibility of the Irans Cultural Heritage Organization to determine the cultural and
historical nature [of the assets].
Article 562- Any type of excavation and digging with the intent to find historical and cultural assets is
prohibited and the offender shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment and
confiscation of the discovered objects in favor of the Cultural Heritage Organization, and the
excavation equipments and tools in favor of the government. If the excavation has taken place in
historical sites and places that are listed as national heritage, or in holy shrines or religious places, in
addition to confiscation of the discovered objects and the excavation equipments and tools, the
offender shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided.
Note 1 - Anyone who puts his hands, by chance, on the historical and cultural assets mentioned in
this article, and does not surrender them in accordance with the regulations of Cultural Heritage
Organization, shall be sentenced to confiscation of the discovered assets.

Note 2 - The purchase and sale of historical and cultural assets that are found during illegal
excavations is prohibited, and in addition to confiscation of the aforementioned cultural assets, the
buyer and seller shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment. If the
aforementioned assets, under any title, and whether directly or indirectly, are sold to foreign
nationals, the offender shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided.
Article 563- Anyone who transgresses historical and cultural lands and hills and sites that are listed
as a national heritage and do not have a private owner, shall be sentenced to six months to two
years imprisonment, provided that the Cultural Heritage Organization had previously indicated and
marked the boundaries and limits of these places.
Article 564- Anyone who, without permission of the Cultural Heritage Organization and against its
adopted regulations, restores or repairs or reconstructs or extends the buildings or decorations of
historical and cultural places which are listed as national heritage, shall be sentenced to six months
to two years imprisonment and compensation of the damages.
Article 565- Anyone who, in violation of the provisions of the Law of Protection of National Heritage,
conveys historical and cultural real-estate that is listed as national heritage, while having knowledge
that they are listed, shall be sentenced to three to one years imprisonment.
Article 566- Anyone who, without permission of the Cultural Heritage Organization and contrary to
what is appropriate for the property, changes the use of religious, cultural and historical buildings,
places and sites that are listed as national heritage, in addition to elimination of the offenses effects
and compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to three months to one years imprisonment.
Article 566 bis (added on 16/06/2009)- Anyone who makes counterfeit models of cultural and
historical assets, whether Iranian or foreign assets, claiming it as original, or introduces, carries or
keeps it, or buys it while being aware that it is fake, with the intent to offer, smuggle or sell the asset,
shall be sentenced to ninety one days to six months imprisonment and a fine of equal to half the
value of the original asset according to the expert report from Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts, and
Tourism Organization.
Note 1 - A counterfeit model is an object which is made in the contemporary era, and in terms of
drawings, pictures, form, texture, size, and weight is similar to original cultural and historical assets,
or is claimed to be the original cultural and historical asset when there is no such original and there
is no sign on the asset from the creator or the Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts, and Tourism
Organization, that distinguishes it from the original.
Note 2 - If there is no original for the counterfeit object, its value, if any, shall be assessed by the
experts of the Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts, and Tourism Organization.
Note 3 - The discovered items referred to in this article shall be confiscated in favor of the Cultural
Heritage, Handcrafts, and Tourism Organization. This provision shall be extended to those items that
are seized before this law comes to force.
Article 567- With regard to the crimes referred to in this chapter, the Cultural Heritage Organization
or other governmental departments shall be regarded as a complainant or private plaintiff.

Article 568- With regard to the crimes referred to in this chapter that are committed by legal entities,
any of the directors or officials who have made the orders, shall be sentenced to the prescribed
punishments.
Note- Cultural and historical assets obtained from the crimes referred to in this chapter, shall be
confiscated under the supervision of the Cultural Heritage Organization; and in all cases where the
assets, tools and equipments are ordered to be seized, it shall be seized in favor of the Cultural
Heritage Organization.
Article 569- In all the cases in this chapter, if the damaged asset is private property and its owner
was unaware that it had been listed as a national heritage, he shall be exempted from the
abovementioned punishments.
Chapter Ten- Offenses of government officials and agents
Article 570 (as amended on 1/1/2003)- Any official and agent associated with State agencies and
institutions, who unlawfully strips members of the public of their personal freedom or deprives them
from their rights provided in the IRI Constitution, shall be sentenced to two months to three years
imprisonment, in addition to dismissal from the service and prohibition of employment in state offices
for one to five years.
Article 571- When the acts that violated the IRI Constitution are carried out as a result of a false
signature of a Minister or State agent, the offender, and those who applied it knowingly, shall be
sentenced to three to ten years imprisonment.
Article 572- When an individual is imprisoned against the law, and he has lodged a complaint
against his unlawful imprisonment to the law enforcement or police officers, but they have failed to
deal with his complaint and are unable to prove that they have taken the required steps and
transferred his complaint to the relevant authorities, they shall be sentenced to permanent dismissal
from the same office and shall be prohibited from taking government employment for three to five
years.
Article 573- If officials and officers responsible for detention centers and prisons receive anyone as
a prisoner without the required warrant issued by competent authorities, they shall be sentenced to
two months to two years imprisonment.
Article 574- If officials and officers responsible for detention centers and prisons refuse to hand over
a prisoner to competent judicial authorities, or refuse to submit their registers to the said authorities,
or refuse or prevent the prisoners complaints from reaching the relevant authorities, they shall be
subject to the previous article; unless they prove that they had been ordered to do so by their
superior commander, in which case he who has issued the order shall be sentenced to the
aforementioned punishment.
Article 575- When judicial authorities or other relevant officials unlawfully order the arrest or
detention or prosecution of someone, they shall be sentenced to permanent dismissal from judicial
offices and shall be prohibited from taking government employment for five years.

Article 576- If any official and civil servant and governmental and municipal agent, no matter at
which level or office he serves, abuses his authority and refuses to obey written state orders or
statutes or decisions or orders of judicial authorities or any other orders issued by lawful officials, he
shall be sentenced to dismissal from civil service for one to five years.
Article 577- If civil servants and agents including Governors of Provinces, Governors of Divisions,
Governors of Sections, or their deputies, and police officers, unless in arbitration cases, interfere
with cases that fall under the authority of judicial officials, and refuse to stop the interference despite
the objection of party/parties to the case or the objection of judicial authorities, they shall be
sentenced to two months to three years imprisonment.
Article 578- Any civil servant or judicial or non-judicial agent who corporally mistreats and abuses an
accused person in order to force him to confess, in addition to qisas and diya, shall be sentenced to
six months to three years imprisonment; and if it is done under someones order, only the person
who has issued the order shall be sentenced to the aforementioned imprisonment; and if the
accused person dies as a result of the abuses, the principal to the murder shall be sentenced to the
punishment provided for a murderer, and the person who has issued the order shall be sentenced to
the punishment provided for the person who has ordered a murder.
Article 579- If a civil servant punishes a convicted person harsher than what was ordered in the
verdict or punishes him to what is not ordered in the verdict, he shall be sentenced to six months to
three years imprisonment; and if the act is carried out pursuant to someone elses order, only the
person who has issued the order shall be sentenced to the prescribed punishment; and if the act is
punishable by qisas or diya the main principal to the crime shall be sentenced accordingly; and if the
act consists of other crimes, the principal to the crime and the person who has issued the order shall
be sentenced accordingly to the relevant punishment.
Article 580- Any civil servant and judicial or non-judicial official or anyone who holds a state duty
enters someones house against the law and without the owners permission and consent shall be
sentenced to one month to one years imprisonment, unless he proves that he has acted on his
superiors order and he has had no choice but to obey his orders, in which case the prescribed
punishment shall be given to the person who has issued the order; and if he commits or causes any
other crimes he shall also be sentenced to the relevant punishment provided for that crime; and if
the offense is committed in the night, the principal to the crime and the person who has issued the
order shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided.
Article 581- Any state official and civil servant who, abusing his authority, uses force to buy
someones property, or unlawfully take possession of someones right, or force an owner of a
property to sell it to a third person, in addition to restitution of the property or right or its monetary
value, shall be sentenced to one year to three years imprisonment or a fine of six to eighteen million
Rials.
Article 582- If any state official and civil servant, in cases other than those permitted by law, opens
or seizes or destroys or inspects or records or intercepts letter or telegraph or telephone

communications of people, or discloses their contents without their owners permission, shall be
sentenced to one year to three years imprisonment or a fine of six to eighteen million Rials.
Article 583- If any state official and civil servant or armed forces or the like, without any order from
competent authorities [and] in cases other than those in which the law permits arrest or detention of
people, arrests or detains an individual and forcibly conceals him in a place, he shall be sentenced
to one year to three years imprisonment or a fine of six to eighteen million Rials.
Article 584- Anyone who knowingly prepares a place for committing the crime mentioned in previous
article, and therefore aids the principal to the crime, shall be sentenced to three months to one
years imprisonment or a fine of one million and five hundred to six million Rials.
Article 585- If the principal, or the accessory, to the crime [mentioned in the previous article],
releases the detainee or takes required measures to release him, provided that he has not detained
him for more than five days, he shall be sentenced to two to six months imprisonment instead.
Article 586- When the offender, in order to commit the crime mentioned in article 583, uses false
names or titles or impersonates state agents or uses their badge or uniform or shows a fake warrant,
in addition to the punishment provided in the same article, shall be sentenced to the punishment
provided for forgery or deception.
Article 587- If the perpetrator of the crimes mentioned in the previous articles threatens the detainee
or prisoner to death or physically abuses and torture him, in addition to qisas or diya, he shall be
sentenced to one to five years imprisonment and will be prohibited from taking public services.
Chapter Eleven- Bribery, Usury and Fraud
Article 588- If any arbitrator and inspector and expert, whether appointed by the court or parties to a
legal case, makes a decision or produces a report in favor of either party in return for a bribe, shall
be sentenced to six months to two years imprisonment or a fine of three to twelve million Rials, and
as a punishment for the briber, the amount that was paid shall be confiscated in favor of the
government.
Article 589- If judges of courts, due to receiving a bribe, give a harsher punishment than that
provided by law, he shall be sentenced to the same excessive punishment he has given, in addition
to the punishment provided for receiving a bribe.
Article 590- If a bribe is not in the form of cash, but is [in the form of] goods or property conveyed,
whether directly or indirectly, to judicial or administrative civil servants, free of charge or quite
cheaper than the usual price, or prima facie at its usual price but in fact sold for much cheaper, or if
goods or property is bought from civil servants, directly or indirectly, at a quite higher price, the said
civil servants shall be considered as bribee and the other party as briber.
Article 591- When it is proved that a briber had to pay a bribe to preserve his legal rights, he shall
be exempted from criminal prosecution and the money or property he has paid shall be returned to
him.

Article 592- Anyone who, knowingly and deliberately, and whether directly or indirectly, pays money
or a property or a bill of payment or delivery of a property, in order to carry out or refrain from
carrying out what is a duty of the officials mentioned in article 3 of the law of Aggravating [the
punishments of] Bribery, Embezzlement, and Fraud adopted on 6/12/1997 by the Expediency
Discernment Council, he shall be considered as a briber, and, in addition to confiscation of the
bribed money or property, he shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment or up to
74 lashes.
Note- If the briber has been moztar [i.e. desperate and left with no other option] or reports the bribery
or lodges a complaint, he shall be exempted from the imprisonment sentence and the bribed money
shall be restituted to him.
Article 593- Anyone who, knowingly and deliberately, facilitates the commission of bribery including
through negotiation, persuasion, transferring the money or property or bill of payment, shall be
sentenced to the punishment provided for the briber.
Article 594- The punishment for attempted bribery shall be the minimum punishment provided in
each case.
Article 595- Any type of agreement between two or more people under any title such as sale,
borrow, settlement, etc that conveys a property or goods in return of a property of the same type and
amount and with an extra condition, or receives money more than the amount paid, shall be
regarded as usury and is a crime. The offenders including usurer, the individual who has paid the
usury, and the broker between them, in addition to restitution of the extra money to the owner, shall
be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes and also a fine equal
to the value of the aforementioned money or property.
Note 1- If the owner of the property [subject to usury] is unknown, it shall be regarded as property
without a known owner and shall be given to the vali-ye Faqih (i.e. Supreme Leader).
Note 2- When it is proved that the person who has paid the usury has been moztar [i.e. desperate
and left with no other option] to pay the extra money or property, he shall be exempted from the
punishment provided in this article.
Note 3- When the abovementioned contract is concluded between a father and his son or a husband
and his wife, or if a Muslim receives usury from a Kafir [non-believer], it shall not fall under this
article.
Article 596- Anyone who, abusing the weakness and desires or personal needs of incapacitated
persons, obtains a writing or document whether commercial or non-commercial including, a bill of
exchange, promissory note, check, draft, receipt, settlement receipt against his benefit, or any
documents that binds him or clears the receiver, or someone else, from obligations, in addition to
compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to six month to two years imprisonment and a
fine of one million to ten million Rials; and if the offender is the natural guardian of the [incapacitated]
person, or the executor of [his natural guardians] will, or appointed as his guardian by court, then, in

addition to compensation of the damages, he shall be sentenced to three to seven years

imprisonment.
Chapter Twelve- Refusing to carry out legal duties
Article 597- Any judicial authority to whom a complaint or petition is referred according to the law,
but, despite the fact that he is legally obliged to deal with the complaint, on the basis of any
justification even silence or brevity or contradictory nature of the law, fails to accept or deal with the
case, or postpones the issuance of the verdict against the law, or acts contrary to the explicit
provision of law, on the first occasion shall be sentenced to six months to one year imprisonment
and on the [second] occurrence will be permanently dismissed from judicial office; and in any case
shall be also sentenced to compensation of damages.
Chapter Thirteen- Offenses of civil servants against government
Article 598- Any civil servant and employee of a governmental department and organization or
council or municipality and company or organization or revolutionary body and also foundation and
organization that is supervised by vali-ye faqih [i.e. Supreme Leader] and the Supreme Audit Court
and organizations that are financed by the government or holders of judicial rank and basically all
the members and staff of the three branches of power and also armed forces and public servants,
whether official or unofficial, who abuses any fund or credit or drafts or shares or other monetary
instruments or other property that belongs to the abovementioned organizations or other persons
that are entrusted to them on the basis of their duty, without any intention to transfer their ownership
to himself or a third person, shall be regarded as an unlawful possessor and, in addition to
compensation of the damages and payment of the payable rent, shall be sentenced to up to 74
lashes; and if he has benefitted [from the offense], in addition to the aforementioned punishment, he
shall be sentenced to a fine equal to the amount of benefit. It is also the same case when [anybody],
due to his negligence or failure, causes damage to public funds or consumes it for the purposes that
no budget is provided by law, or for a different purpose [other than stipulated by law] or in excess of
the allocated budget.
Article 599- Anyone who is responsible for the conclusion of contracts or constructing anything or
ordering or supervising its construction for any one of the departments and organizations referred to
in article 598, and who takes advantage of it for himself or someone else through a deception
regarding the amount or features or excessive price or any deception in the construction, in addition
to compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to six months to five years imprisonment.
Article 600- Any civil servant or employee or agent who is responsible for the assessment,
determination and collection of any fee in favor of the government, violates the law and collects or
orders to collect a fee more than that required by law, shall be sentenced to two months to one
years imprisonment. The punishment provided in this article is also applicable to officials and

employees of municipalities; and in any case what is received in contravention of the law shall be
returned to the right owner.
Article 601- Any civil servant that on the basis of their duty employs or hires people or transports
some materials and charges the governments account for whole or part of their salaries or fees, but
fails to pay the fees, shall be sentenced to temporary suspension from three months to three years;
and the same punishment is applicable in the case of civil servants that employed some people as
unpaid labors but charged the governments account and took their salaries for themselves; and in
any case the received salary shall be returned to the right owner.
Article 602- Any civil servant that on the basis of their duties has been entitled to employ some
people and charges the governments account more than the number he has actually employed, or if
he includes his personal servants among the civil servants and pays their salary from the
governments account, he shall be sentenced to 74 lashes and restitution of the amount he has
charged the governments account.
Article 603- If any civil servant and employee and individual who is in managerial positions in the
Ministries and departments and organizations referred to in article 598, whether directly or indirectly,
takes any advantage for himself or someone else through any contract or agreement or any other
arrangements with other people or their representatives or branches, under any title such as
commission, fee, brokerage or bonus, whether inside or outside the country, or if without any mission
from his respective organization buys or constructs anything on its behalf, or takes any benefit for
himself or someone else when paying the fees that he is responsible for their payment or when
settling an account, shall be sentenced to restitution of twice as much as the benefit gained from this
act; and if his act causes any change in the amount or quality of the subject of the contract or any
increase in its price, he shall be sentenced to six months to five years imprisonment or a fine of
three to thirty million Rials.
Article 604- Any civil servant, whether judicial or administrative, who destroys or conceals
documents and papers that are entrusted to them or given to them on the basis of their duties, or
hands them over to an unauthorized person, in addition to compensation of the damages, shall be
sentenced to three months to one years imprisonment.
Article 605- Any servant of the departments and organizations referred to in article 598, who,
intentionally and unlawfully, makes an statement or action against one of the parties shall be
sentenced to up to three months imprisonment or a fine up to one million and five hundred thousand
Rials and compensation of the damages.
Article 606- Any chairperson or director or authority of the organizations referred to in article 598
who becomes aware of a bribery or embezzlement or illegal possession or fraud or the crimes
mentioned in articles 599 and 603, in the organizations under their supervision, and fails to report
the offense to competent judicial or administrative bodies, in addition to imprisonment for six months
to two years, shall be sentenced to temporary suspension for six months to two years.

Chapter Fourteen- Defying state agents

Article 607- Any form of attack or resistance carried out knowingly against state agents while they
are performing their duties shall be regarded as defiance and is punishable according to the
following:
1- If the defiant shows his gun in order to threaten, six months to two years imprisonment
2- If the defiant touches and holds his gun, one to three years imprisonment
3- In all other cases three months to one year of imprisonment.
Note- If the defiant, while defying, commits any other crime, he shall be sentenced to the punishment
provided for both crimes.
Chapter Fifteen- Insulting other individuals
Article 609- Anyone who insults any of the Heads of three powers [of the Executive, Judiciary and
Legislature] or Vice-Presidents or Ministers or Members of Parliament or Members of the Council of
Experts [for Leadership] or Members of the Guardian Council or judges or Members of the Audit
Court or civil servants of Ministries and governmental organizations and companies and
municipalities while they are performing their duties, or [if the (offender) insults them] in connection
with their duties, shall be sentenced to 74 lashes or a fine of fifty thousand to one million Rials.
Chapter Sixteen- Conspiracy and collusion to commit a crime
Article 610- When two or more individuals collude and conspire to commit crimes against the
national or foreign security of the country or prepare the facilities to commit the aforementioned
crimes, unless they are regarded as mohareb, shall be sentenced to two to five years imprisonment.
Article 611- When two or more individuals collude and conspire to commit crimes against peoples
honor or lives, and they have prepared the requirements [of the crime] but do not succeed against
their will, they shall be sentenced to six months to three years.
Chapter Seventeen- Crimes against people and children
Article 612- Anyone who commits a murder and where there is no complainant, or there is a
complainant but he has forgiven and withdrawn his application for qisas, or if qisas is not executed
for any reason, if his act disrupts the public order and safety of the society or it is thought that it
emboldens the offender or others [to commit murder again], the court shall sentence the offender to
three to ten years imprisonment.
Note- In this case, an accessory to the crime shall be sentenced to one to five years imprisonment.
Article 613- When anyone attempts a murder but does not succeed against his will, he shall be
sentenced to six months to three years tazir imprisonment.
Article 614- Anyone who commits an assault and battery against someone else that results in
damaging or breaking or disabling a victims limb or causes him a permanent illness or defect or loss
of a sense or ability or loss of mind, in cases where qisas is not possible, if his act disrupts public
order and the safety of the society or it is thought that it emboldens the offender or others [to commit

assault again], he shall be sentenced to two to five years imprisonment; and if the victim applies for
it, shall be sentenced to diya as well.
Note- If the injury does not result in the abovementioned defects, and the means of committing the
assault is a gun or knife or the like, the offender shall be sentenced to three months to one year of
imprisonment.
Article 615- When a group of people fight with each other, each participant in the fight shall be
sentenced according to the following:
1- If the fight results in murder, one to three years imprisonment.
2- If it results in loss of a limb, six months to three years imprisonment.
3- If it results in assault and battery, three months to one year of imprisonment.
Note 1- If a persons act is considered to be self-defense, then this article shall not be applicable.
Note 2- The abovementioned punishments do not interfere with qisas or diya provisions.
Article 616- If a manslaughter is committed as a result of negligence or recklessness of the offender
or caused by an act for which the offender lacks the required skills, or because of disregard for the
regulations, the offender shall be sentenced to one to three years imprisonment and also payment
of diya in cases in which the uliya-ye dam [owners of blood money] apply for, unless it is a case of
absolute negligence.
Article 617- Anyone who resorts to a knife or any other weapon to flaunt his strength or to disturb or
blackmail or threaten people or in scuffles with someone, if not regarded as mohareb, shall be
sentenced to six months to two years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 618- Anyone who disrupts the order and public peace or prevents people from their business
by crying out and creating a row and outrageous behavior or by assaulting other people shall be
sentenced to three months to one year of imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 619- Anyone who assaults or disturbs children or women in public places or roads, or insults
them with outrageous language and behaviors, shall be sentenced to two to six months
imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 620- When the crimes referred to in articles 616 and 617 and 618 are committed by a group
of people and as a result of a previous collusion, each one of the offenders shall be sentenced to the
maximum punishment provided.
Article 621- Anyone who, whether personally or through someone else, forcefully or by resorting to
threat or deception or any other means, abducts or conceals someone in order to blackmail or take
revenge or for any reason, shall be sentenced to five to fifteen years imprisonment. If the victim is
less than fifteen years old or if the abduction is carried out with a vehicle or if the victim is physically
or sexually abused, the offender shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided; and if he
has committed any other crimes he shall be sentenced to the relevant punishments as well.
Note- Attempted abduction is punishable by three to five years imprisonment.

Article 622- Anyone who, knowingly and deliberately, batters or abuses a pregnant woman and
causes her to miscarriage, in addition to payment of diya or qisas, shall be sentenced to one to three
years imprisonment.
Article 623- Anyone who causes the miscarriage of a pregnant woman by giving her drugs or other
means shall be sentenced to six months to one year of imprisonment, and if knowingly and
deliberately guides a pregnant woman to use drugs or other means to abort her baby shall be
sentenced to three to six months imprisonment, unless it is proved that it was necessary to save the
mothers life; in any case the diya shall be paid according to the relevant provisions.
Article 624- If a doctor or midwife or pharmacist or those who act as doctor or midwife or surgeon or
pharmacist provide the tools for abortion or perform the abortion, they shall be sentenced to two to
five years imprisonment, and the diya shall be paid according to the relevant provisions.
Article 625- Murder and assault and battery, if committed in self-defense and in order to save the
perpetrators or someone elses life or honor or property, then the perpetrator shall not be punished
subject to the following conditions and provided that the defense is proportionate to the danger that
threatened the perpetrator.
Note- In the case of defending someone elses property, this article is applicable [only] if the
defender is responsible to protect the property or if the owner of the property calls for help.
Article 626- When an act is considered as a crime against life or honor or property, even though
committed by state agents, then any form of defense shall be permitted to save the life or honor or
property.
Article 627- Defense is [permitted] in the following cases:
A - The fear for life or dignity or honor or property must be based on reasonable grounds.
B - The defense is proportionate to the attack.
C - There is no way to resort to state forces or an easier way to escape.
Article 628- Resisting police forces or other law enforcement officers while they are performing their
duties shall not be considered as a defense; however, if they go beyond their authority, and
according to the circumstances there is a fear that their acts will cause death or injury or assault to
[someones] honor or property, then defending against them is permitted as well.
Article 629- In the following cases, murder is not punishable provided that the defense is possible
only by murdering [the attacker]:
A - Defending against a murder or severe assault and battery or severe abuse or defending the
defenders and his family members honor.
B - Defending against someone who wants to rape someone else.
C - Defending against someone who wants to abduct someone or steal his property.
Article 630- When a man sees her wife committing zina with another man, provided that he is
certain that his wife is willing [to have sex], he can kill both of them in the same position; however if
he knows that his wife acts under coercion, he may only kill the man [i.e. her rapist]. The same rule
applies to assault and battery.

Article 631- Anyone who abducts or conceals a newborn baby or replaces him with another baby or
declares him to be another womans baby instead of his real mother, shall be sentenced to six
months to three years imprisonment; and if it is proved that the baby was dead the offender shall be
sentenced to a fine of one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand Rials.
Article 632- If anyone fails to hand over a baby that had been given to him when he is asked to do
so by persons who have the right to demand the baby, he shall be sentenced to three to six months
imprisonment or a fine of one million and five hundred thousand to three million Rials.
Article 633- Anyone who, whether personally or at someone elses order, abandons a baby or an
individual who is unable to defend himself in a deserted place shall be sentenced to six months to
two years imprisonment or a fine of three million to twelve million Rials; and if he abandons him in a
residential area, he shall be sentenced to up to half of the abovementioned punishment; and if the
act causes injury or death, the offender, in addition to the abovementioned punishment, shall also be
sentenced to qisas or diya.
Article 634- Anyone who, without legal permission, exhumes a grave shall be sentenced to three
months and one day to one year of imprisonment and if he commits any other crimes in addition to
exhumation, he shall be sentenced to the punishment provided for that crime as well.
Article 635- Anyone who, violating the regulations provided for burial of the dead, buries a corpse or
facilitates its burial or conceals it, shall be sentenced to a fine of one hundred to one million Rials.
Article 636- Anyone who, while being aware of the murder, conceals the corpse of a murdered
person, or buries it before reporting it to the officials responsible for the investigation of crimes, shall
be sentenced to three months and one day to one year of imprisonment.
Chapter Eighteen- Crimes against public prudency and morality
Article 637- When a man and a woman who are not married to each other, commit indecent acts
other than zina, such as kissing or sleeping next to one another, they shall be sentenced to up to
ninety-nine lashes; and if the act is committed by force only the one who has used force shall be
punished as tazir.
Article 638- Anyone in public places and roads who openly commits a harm (sinful) act, in addition
to the punishment provided for the act, shall be sentenced to two months imprisonment or up to 74
lashes; and if they commit an act that is not punishable but violates public prudency, they shall only
be sentenced to ten days to two months imprisonment or up to 74 lashes.
Note- Women, who appear in public places and roads without wearing an Islamic hijab, shall be
sentenced to ten days to two months imprisonment or a fine of fifty thousand to five hundred Rials.
Article 639- The following individuals shall be sentenced to one year to ten years imprisonment and
in respect to paragraph (A), in addition to the punishment provided, the relevant place shall be
closed temporarily at the discretion of the court.
A - Anyone who establishes or directs a place of immorality or prostitution.
B - Anyone facilitates or encourages people to immorality or prostitution.

Note- If the abovementioned act is regarded as qavadi (procuring), in addition to the punishment
provided above, [the offender] shall be sentenced to the hadd punishment for qavadi (procuring).
Article 640- The following individuals shall be sentenced to three months to one year of
imprisonment and a fine of one million and five hundred Rials to six million Rials and up to 74 lashes
or to one or two of the above punishments.
1 - Anyone who, for distribution and business purposes, displays and shows to the public, or
produces or keeps any writing or design, gravure, painting, picture, newspapers, advertisements,
signs, film, cinema movie, or basically anything, that violates public prudency and morality.
2 - Anyone who, whether personally or through someone else, for the abovementioned purposes,
imports or exports the aforementioned objects, or by any means deals or acts as a broker to the
[abovementioned] business or any other businesses, or benefits from renting the said objects.
3 - Anyone who, by any means, advertises to encourage dealing and promoting the abovementioned
objects, or introduces people who commit the abovementioned illegal acts, or the place the said
objects can be obtained.
Note 1- This article is not applicable in the case of objects that are obtained or bought or sold or
used in accordance to the Sharia rules and for scientific or any other permitted reasonable
purposes.
Note 2- The object mentioned in this article shall be seized and their contents shall be removed and
then shall be submitted to the relevant state organ to be used properly.
Article 641- When anyone disturbs other people through the telephone or other telecommunication
devices, in addition to enforcement of special regulations of the Telecommunication Company, shall
be sentenced to one to six months imprisonment.
Chapter Nineteen- Crimes against family rights and responsibilities
Article 642- Anyone who fails to pay his wifes nafaqa (maintenance), while he has the financial
ability, subject to the wifes tamkin (obedience), or fails to pay other members of his family that he is
legally responsible to pay their nafaqa, shall be sentenced by court to three months and one day to
five months imprisonment.
Article 643- Anyone who knowingly concludes a marriage contract between a man and a married
woman, or a woman who is in her edda period [a period during which a separated or widowed
woman is prohibited from remarrying], shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment
or a fine from three million to eighteen million Rials and up to 74 lashes. And if he is a director of a
Marriage and Divorce Register Office or a Notary Public, he shall be permanently prohibited from
directing the said offices.
Article 644- Those who knowingly commit one of the following acts shall be sentenced to six months
to two years imprisonment or a fine of three to twelve million Rials:

1 - Any woman who is married, or during her edda period, with a man, and marries another man but
no sexual relations happen.
2 - Anyone who marries a married woman or a woman who is in her edda period, but no sexual
relations happen.
Article 645- In order to protect the institution of family, the registration of the marriage contract, a
divorce, and revocation of the divorce is mandatory. Any man who concludes a permanent marriage,
or divorces, or revokes a divorce without registering in a Register Office, shall be sentenced to up to
one year of tazir imprisonment.
Article 646- Marriage before puberty without the permission of the guardian is forbidden. If a man
violates Article 1041 of the Civil Code, and its note, and marries a girl before she reaches the age of
puberty, he shall be sentenced to six months to two years tazir imprisonment.
Article 647- If before the marriage, any one of the parties to a marriage deceives the other party
with unreal claims such as higher education, financial ability, social status, career or special position,
being single, etc, and the marriage contract is concluded on the basis of any such claims, the
offender shall be sentenced to six months to two years tazir imprisonment.
Chapter Twenty- Perjury and revealing secrets
Article 648- Doctors and surgeons and midwives and pharmacists and all persons who, due to their
profession or career, are trusted with secrets, if they reveal peoples secrets in cases other than
those permitted by law, shall be sentenced to three months and one day to one year of imprisonment
or a fine of one million and five hundred thousand to six million Rials.
Article 649- Anyone who takes an oath but perjures in a civil or criminal case lodged against him
shall be sentenced six months to two years imprisonment.
Article 650- Anyone who perjures before the court shall be sentenced to three months and one day
to two years imprisonment or to a fine of one million and five hundred thousand to twelve million
Rials.
Note- The punishment provided in this article is in addition to the punishment for perjury
underhudud and qisas and diya provisions.
Chapter Twenty One- Theft and stealing other peoples property
Article 651- When a theft does not meet the requirements for hadd punishment but satisfies all the
following five conditions, the offender shall be sentenced to five to twenty years imprisonment and
up to 74 lashes.
1-The theft is committed during the night.
2-The thieves are two or more individuals.
3-One or more of the thieves carry a visible or hidden weapon.
Note (added on 12/11/2008)- The weapon referred to in this paragraph includes the following:

(1) All sorts of firearms such as guns and grenades.

(2) All sorts of cold weapons such as machete, sword, knife, and brass knuckles.
(3) All sorts of military cold weapons including trench knives that are common in the armed forces
of the Islamic Republic of Iran or the like and bayonets attachable on the rifle.
(4) All sorts of hunting guns including popguns, special guns for anesthetizing animals, and special
guns for hunting aquatic animals.
4-If the thief/thieves have climbed a wall or broken into a protected place or used a master key or
impersonated civil servants or used their uniforms or titles, or if they committed the theft in a
residential place or its attachments.
5-If [the thief/thieves] have threatened or harmed someone during the theft.
Article 652- If the theft is committed with harming someone, or if the thief is armed, he shall be
sentenced to three months to ten years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes; and if someone is
injured, in addition to the punishment for injury, he shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment
provided in this article.
Article 653- Anyone who, by any means, commits banditry in the roads and ways, unless he is
regarded as mohareb, shall be sentenced to three to fifteen years imprisonment and up to 74
lashes.
Article 654-When a theft is committed during the night and the thieves are two or more persons and
at least one of them carries a visible or hidden weapon, unless the one who carries the weapon is
regarded as mohareb, the offender(s) shall be sentenced to five to fifteen years imprisonment and
up to 74 lashes.
Article 655- An attempted theft in the cases mentioned in the previous articles is punishable by up to
five years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 656- If a theft does not meet the requirements for the hadd punishment and satisfies the
following conditions, the offender shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment and
up to 74 lashes:
1-The theft is committed in a residential place or its attachments or in public places such as a
mosque or public baths etc.
2-The theft is committed in a place that is protected by trees and bushes or hedges or fences and
the thief breaks into the protected place.
3-The theft is committed during the night.
4-The thieves are two or more persons.
5-The thief is an employee and has stolen his employers property, or stolen someone elses
property in his employers house or someones house that he had gone there together with the
employer or he is an apprentice or worker, or in his usual place of work such as home, shop,
workshop, factory, and warehouse.
6-When directors of a hotel and guesthouse and caravansary and basically all persons who due to
their job have access to some properties, steal whole or part of that property.

Article 657- Anyone who steals someones property through pick-pocketing or purse-snatching and
the like shall be sentenced to one to five years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 658- If the theft is committed in areas stricken by flood or earthquake or war or fire or in a
place of a car-crash, provided that it is not punishable by hadd, the offender shall be sentenced to
one to five years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 659- Anyone who steals tools and parts of facilities that are being used by the public and are
built or installed at the governments cost or a joint funding by the government and private sector or
by non-governmental or charity organizations, such as water and electricity and gas facilities, shall
be sentenced to one to five years imprisonment; and if the offender is among the employees of the
relevant organizations he shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided.
Article 660 (amended on 12/11/2008)- Anyone who, without paying the subscription fee for water
and sewage and electricity and gas and telephone, illegally uses water and electricity and telephone
and gas and sewage systems, in addition to compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to a
fine equal or twice as much as the damages. If the offender is among the employees of the said
organizations he shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided.
Article 661- In other cases where the theft does not meet the requirements mentioned in the above
articles, the offender can be punished from three months and one day to two years imprisonment
and up to 74 lashes.
Article 662- Anyone who, knowingly and in spite of reliable circumstantial evidence that implies a
property is stolen, obtains or conceals or accepts or deals the property, shall be sentenced to six
months to three years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes. If the offender deals stolen properties as
his career, he shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided in this article.
Article 663- Anyone who, knowingly and without permission, takes possession or uses objects and
properties seized by competent authorities, and whose act breaches the seizure, even though he is
the owner of the property, shall be sentenced to three months to one year of imprisonment.
Article 664- Anyone who, knowingly and deliberately, in order to commit a crime, makes or changes
a key or makes or obtains any tools to commit a crime, shall be sentenced to three months to one
year of imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 665- Anyone who steals someone elses property but his act is not regarded as theft, shall be
sentenced to six months to one year of imprisonment; and if his act causes any harm to the victim
shall be sentenced to the relevant punishment as well.
Article 666- If an offender repeats the commission of theft, his punishment shall be the maximum
punishment provided by law.
Note- If an offender repeats the commission of theft, and if he has three previous final convictions,
the court cannot mitigate his punishment under the provisions of mitigating circumstances.
Article 667- In all cases of theft and stealing properties referred to in this chapter, the court, in
addition to imposing the punishment provided, shall sentence the offender or thief to restore the

stolen property, and if the property is not available to provide its equivalent or pay its value and also
to compensate the damages.
Chapter Twenty Two- Threatening and coercing
Article 668- Anyone uses force or coerces or threatens someone else to make him provide a writing
or document or signature or stamp, or takes from him a document or writing which, is entrusted, or
belongs, to him, shall be sentenced to three months to two years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 669- Anyone who by any means threatens someone else to death or damage to his body or
honor or property or to reveal a secret against him or his relatives, whether or not he demands
money or any action, shall be sentenced up to 74 lashes or to two months to two years
imprisonment.
Chapter Twenty Three- Bankruptcy
Article 670- Those who are convicted of fraudulent bankruptcy shall be sentenced to one to five
years imprisonment.
Article 671- Culpable bankruptcy is punishable by six to two years imprisonment.
Article 672- When a liquidator, while dealing with a case of bankruptcy, colludes between the
creditors and bankrupt tradesman, whether directly or indirectly and whether through a contract or
any other means, he shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment or a fine of three
to eighteen million Rials.
Chapter Twenty Four- Breach of trust
Article 673- Anyone who abuses a blank document which is previously signed or stamped and
entrusted to him or that he has obtained by any means, shall be sentenced to one to three years
imprisonment.
Article 674- When goods or real-estate or documents such as a bill of exchange, check, receipt, etc
are entrusted to someone under a rent contract or deposit or mortgage or proxy or any paid or
unpaid work, and the said items were supposed to be returned, or used for a specific purpose, and
the person entrusted with those items uses or destroys or loses them to the detriment of their
owners or possessors, he shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment.
Chapter Twenty Five- Arson and destruction of property and animals
Article 675- Anyone who deliberately sets fire to a building or house or ship or airplane or factory or
warehouse and basically any residential place, or jungle or heap or any type of farming products or
trees or farms or gardens belong to someone else, shall be sentenced to two to five years
imprisonment.
Note 1- If the abovementioned acts are committed with the intent to oppose the Islamic State, it is
punishable by the punishment provided for mohareb.

Note 2- Attempted crimes mentioned above are punishable by six months to two years
imprisonment.
Article 676- Anyone who sets fire to someone elses movable belongings shall be sentenced to six
months to three years imprisonment.
Article 677- Anyone who destroys or damages or ruins someone elses movable belongings or real
estate shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment.
Article 678- When the crimes mentioned in articles 676 and 677 are committed by using explosives,
the offender shall be sentenced to two to five years imprisonment.
Article 679- Anyone who deliberately and unnecessarily kills or poisons or wastes or impairs
someone elses halal-meat animal [animals whose meat is permitted to be consumed under Islamic
Sharia], or other [protected] animals that are illegal to hunt, shall be sentenced to ninety one days to
six months imprisonment or a fine of one million and five hundred thousand to three million Rials.
Article 680- Anyone who without permission and against the law hunts or traps protected wild
animals and species shall be sentenced to three months to three years imprisonment or a fine of
one and a half million to eighteen million Rials.
Article 681- Anyone who, knowingly, burns or destroys any governmental books and deeds and
documents shall be sentenced to two to ten years imprisonment.
Article 682- Anyone who, knowingly, burns or destroys any non-governmental or commercial
documents or bills which causes damage to a third party, shall be sentenced to three months to two
years imprisonment.
Article 683- Any kind of looting or destruction of goods and properties or crops that is committed by
using force by a group of more than three individuals, if the offenders are not considered
asmohareb, shall be punishable by two to five years imprisonment.
Article 684- Anyone who pastures [his animals] in someone elses crops, or destroys someones
vineyard or orchard or palm garden, or cuts or harvests someone elses crops, or steals or stops the
allocated water and causes its waste, or breaks down someone elses mill, shall be sentenced to six
months to three years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes.
Article 685- Anyone who, without permission and by any means, destroys or cuts a palm tree shall
be sentenced to three to six months imprisonment or a fine of one million and five hundred thousand
to three million Rials, or both the punishments.
Article 686- Anyone who, knowingly and deliberately and against the Development of Green Spaces
Act, cuts or destroys any type of trees mentioned in article one of the said Act, in addition to
compensation of the damages, shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment or a
fine of three million to eighteen million Rials.
Article 687- Anyone who destroys or sets fire to or breaks down or damages tools and facilities used
by the public such as water and sewage, electricity, oil, gas, post, telegraph, and telephone
networks, and frequency and microwave (telecommunication), and radio and TV centers, and also
their related facilities such as dams, channels, pipes, power stations and power and communication

lines (air or underground or fiber-optic cables) and the generators and distribution machines which
are built by public funding or joint governmental and private funding or by private sector for public
use, and also traffic signs and other signs installed to save peoples lives or to ensure safety of the
abovementioned facilities or roads, provided that he does not have any intent to disrupt public order
and security, shall be sentenced to three months to ten years imprisonment.
Note 1- If the abovementioned acts are committed with the intent to disrupt public order and security
and to oppose the Islamic State, the offender shall be sentenced to the punishment provided
for mohareb.
Note 2- Attempting to commit the abovementioned crimes shall be punishable by one to three years
imprisonment.
Article 688- Any act that is regarded as a threat to public health, such as polluting drinking waters or
distributing polluted drinking waters, insanitary removal of human and animal wastes, throwing
poisonous materials into rivers, [throwing] garbage in the streets, the illegal slaughter of animals, the
illegal use of raw sewage or drained water of sewage refineries for agricultural purposes, is
forbidden and the offenders, unless punishable by more severe punishments under special laws,
shall be sentenced to up to one year of imprisonment.
Note 1- It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education,
Department of Environment Protection, and the Department of Veterinary Medicine, whichever is
concerned, to determine whether or not an act is a threat to public health, or is environmental
pollution or the illegal slaughter of animals and removal of animal waste, and further to file a suit.
Note 2- Environmental pollution is defined as distributing or mixing external materials into water or
air or soil or land to the extent that changes its physical, chemical, or biological quality and damages
the lives of people or other animals and plants.
Article 689- In all the cases mentioned in this chapter, when arson or destruction and other acts
result in death or loss of limb or wound or injury to a person, the offender, in addition to the
punishments provided, shall be sentenced accordingly to qisas or diya, and in all the cases, to
provide compensation for the damages.
Chapter Twenty Six- Violating and trespassing other peoples houses and estates
Article 690- Anyone who, in order to possess or claim to be the right holder, creates scenes and
resorts to deceptive measures such as digging the foundations, building walls, changing or removing
the borders between land, terracing, digging a canal, drilling a well, planting trees, etc to create
evidence for his possession in farming lands (whether already planted or in rotation cultivation),
jungles and nationalized meadows, mountains, gardens, tree nurseries, water supplies, springs,
natural streams, national parks, agricultural and stockbreeding facilities and farms, wastelands and
uncultivated lands and other lands and estates which belong to the government or the companies
which belong to the government or municipalities or [Department of] Endowments, and also lands
and estates which are endowed for public or private use, or if, without permission of the Department

of Environmental Protection or other relevant bodies, resorts to an operation that destroys the
environment and natural resources, or commits any violation or unlawful possession or disruption of
rights in the abovementioned cases, shall be sentenced to one month to one year of imprisonment.
The court is obliged to order the elimination of the unlawful possession or disruption, or restoration of
the previous status.
Note 1- The abovementioned crimes shall be heard out of set order and the judicial authority shall
prepare minutes and order the suspension of the offenders operation until the final decision is
made.
Note 2- When the accused persons are three or more individuals and there is strong circumstantial
evidence that proves their commission of the crime, an arrest order shall be issued; the claimant can
apply for dispossession [of the offender(s)] and demolition of the building and trees and removal of
the traces of the violation.
Article 691- Anyone who forcibly enters an estate which is possessed by someone else, whether or
not it is walled or fenced, or even if it was not forcible at the beginning but despite the possessors
warning [the offender] has stayed by using force, in addition to elimination of his violation, shall be
sentenced to one to six months imprisonment. When the offenders are two or more individuals and
at least one of them carries a weapon, they shall be sentenced to one to three years imprisonment.
Article 692- Anyone who forcibly possesses someone elses estate, in addition to removal of the
violation, shall be sentenced to three months to one year of imprisonment.
Article 693- If anyone, according to a final judgment, is convicted to eviction or removal of
disturbance from a real estate, but after the judgment is enforced, repossesses, or makes
disturbance for, the same property again, in addition to removal of the violation, shall be sentenced
to six months to two years imprisonment.
Article 694- Anyone who forcibly or by resorting to threat enters someone elses house shall be
sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment and if the offenders are two or more
individuals and at least one of them carries a weapon they shall be sentenced to one to six years
imprisonment.
Article 695- If the crimes mentioned in articles 692 and 693 are committed during the night the
offender shall be sentenced to the maximum punishment provided.
Article 696- In all cases where the offender, in addition to the criminal punishment, is convicted to
restoration of the same property or its value or paying the diya and damages caused by the crime,
but fails to execute the judgment, at the request of the applicant, the court shall enforce the
judgment against the convict through selling his belongings except for exempted items set by law, or
to detain the convicted person until he pays the debts.
Note- If the convicted person claims destitution, he shall remain in detention until the confirming
decision on his destitution or payment by installments is made.
Chapter Twenty Seven- Libel and Insult and Dishonoring

Article 697- Anyone who, through printed or written papers or by publishing in a newspaper or by
giving a speech in events or by any other means, attributes something to a person which is a crime
under law and fails to prove that those documents are true, in cases other than those punishable
by hadd, shall be sentenced to one month to one year of imprisonment and up to 74 lashes or one of
them.
Article 698- Anyone who, with the intent to cause damage to someone or to disrupt the opinion of
the authorities or the public by [sending] a letter or complaint or correspondence or petitions or
reports or distribution of printed or written papers, whether signed or without a signature, lies or
falsely attributes some acts to an individual or a legal person or officials, whether explicitly or
implicitly or whether directly or indirectly, and whether or not it causes material or spiritual damages,
in addition to restitution of the prestige [of the victim] if possible, shall be sentenced to two months to
two years imprisonment or up to 74 lashes.
Article 699- Anyone who, knowingly and deliberately, with the intent to accuse an individual, without
his knowledge, manipulates or conceals the tools and means of a crime or any object for which its
possession can be prosecuted, in his home or workplace or pocket or belongings, or claims that
such items belong to him, and as a result of this the said individual is prosecuted, after the
prosecution is terminated or he is declared innocent, the offender shall be sentenced to six months
to three years or up to 74 lashes.
Article 700- Anyone who satirizes an individual, whether in poetry or prose and whether verbal or
written, or publishes a satire, shall be sentenced to one to six months imprisonment.
Chapter Twenty Eight- Public consumption of alcoholic beverages and gambling and
tramping
Article 701- Anyone who, publically and without acting secretly, consumes alcoholic beverages in
public places and roads and events, in addition to the hadd punishment for consumption of alcoholic
beverages, shall be sentenced to two to six months tazir imprisonment.
Article 702- Anyone who produces or buys or sells or proposes to sell or carries or keeps alcoholic
beverages or provides to a third person, shall be sentenced to six months to one year of
imprisonment and up to 74 lashes and a fine five times as much as the usual (commercial) value of
the aforementioned object.
Article 703- Importing alcoholic beverages into the country shall be considered as smuggling and
the importer, regardless of the amount [of the beverages], shall be sentenced to six months to five
years imprisonment and up to 74 lashes and a fine ten times as much as the usual (commercial)
value of the aforementioned object. This crime can be tried in the General Courts.
Note 1- In respect to articles 702 and 703, when the discovered alcoholic beverages are more than
twenty liters, the vehicle used for its transport, if its owner is aware of the matter, shall be confiscated
in favor of the government; otherwise the offender shall be sentenced [to a fine] equal to the value of
the vehicle. Tools and equipments used for producing or facilitating the crimes mentioned in the said

articles, as well as the money gained through the transactions, shall be confiscated in favor of the
government.
Note 2- When civil servants or employees of governmental companies or companies or institutes
dependant to government, councils, municipalities or Islamic revolutionary bodies, and basically all
the three powers and also members of armed forces and public service officials, commit, or
participate, or aid and abet in the crimes mentioned in articles 702 and 703, in addition to the
punishments provided, they shall be sentenced to one to five years temporary suspension from civil
service.
Note 3- The court, under no circumstances, shall suspend the execution of the punishment provided
in articles 702 and 703.
Article 704- Anyone who has set up a place for the consumption of alcoholic beverages or invites
people to that place shall be sentenced to three months to two years imprisonment and 74 lashes or
a fine of one million and five hundred thousand to twelve million Rials or both the punishments; and
if they commit both of the abovementioned crimes they shall be sentenced to the maximum
punishment provided.
Article 705- Gambling by any means is forbidden and the offenders shall be sentenced to one to six
months imprisonment or up to 74 lashes; and if they commit gambling publically, they shall be
sentenced to both the punishments.
Article 706- Anyone who buys or carries or keeps gambling tools shall be sentenced to one to three
months imprisonment or a fine of five hundred thousand to one million and five hundred thousand
Rials.
Article 707- Anyone who makes or sells or offers to sell or imports or provides to someone else shall
be sentenced to three months to one year of imprisonment and one million and a fine of five hundred
thousand to six million Rials.
Article 708- Anyone who sets up a gambling house or invites people to that place shall be
sentenced to six months to two years imprisonment or a fine of three million to twelve million Rials.
Article 709- All the tools and cash that belong to gambling shall be, respectively, destroyed or
confiscated as a fine.
Article 710- Individuals who accept to serve in the gambling houses or places prepared for the
consumption of alcoholic beverages mentioned in articles 701 and 705, or by any means assists the
directors of such places, shall be considered as an accessory to the crime and their punishment is
[equal to] the punishment provided for the principal to the crime; however, the court, considering the
circumstances and the extent of his acts, may mitigate his punishment.
Article 711- When a law enforcement officers and other competent officials are aware of the places
mentioned in articles 704 and 705 and 708 or persons mentioned in article 710 but fail to report the
issue to relevant authorities or they produce false reports, if they are not subject to a harsher
punishment under another law, they shall be sentenced to three to six months of imprisonment or up
to 74 lashes.

Article 712- Anyone who has chosen beggary or swindling as his occupation and earns his living out
of it shall be sentenced to one to three months imprisonment; and if he commits the
abovementioned acts while he has no financial need, in addition to the punishments provided, all the
properties gained though beggary and swindling shall be confiscated.
Article 713- Anyone who uses a child or an incompetent person for a beggaring purpose or appoints
some people for this purpose, shall be sentenced to two years and restitution of all properties gained
through this way.
Chapter Twenty Nine- Traffic Crimes
Article 714- When negligence or recklessness or violation of state regulations or the lack of driving
skills of a driver of land or marine or air vehicles or operator of a motorized vehicle causes a
manslaughter, the offender shall be sentenced to six months to three years imprisonment, and also
payment of diya, if requested by blood owners.
Article 715- When any one of the grounds mentioned in article 714 causes untreatable physical or
mental illness or loss of a sense or disability of a limb that is crucial in human life, or the permanent
disfiguration of a limb or face, or miscarriage, the offender shall be sentenced to two months to one
year of imprisonment, and the payment of diya, if requested by blood owners.
Article 716- When any one of the grounds mentioned in article 714 causes a bodily injury that
permanently impairs a sense or makes a limb defective, or if it destroys a part of the affected limb
without causing disability of that limb, or causes a premature delivery by a pregnant woman, the
offender shall be sentenced to two months to six months imprisonment, and payment of diya, if
requested by the victim.
Article 717- When any one of the grounds mentioned in article 714 causes bodily injury, the offender
shall be sentenced to one to five months imprisonment, and payment of diya, if requested by the
victim.
Article 718- In the abovementioned articles, when a driver or operator of a motorized vehicle, at the
time of commission of the crime, was drunk or lacked the [required driving] license or exceeded the
speed limit, or used the motorized vehicle despite mechanical defects and malfunction which is
effective in causing the accident, or ignores the special lines allocated for pedestrians, or drives
through forbidden pathways, shall be sentenced to more than two-thirds of the maximum
punishment provided in the above article. The court, in addition to the abovementioned punishment,
may ban the offender from driving or operating motorized vehicles for one to five years.
Note- In execution of the punishments provided in articles 714 and 718 of this Code, paragraph 1 of
article 3 of the Law of Clearance of some of the Governments Incomes and its Spending in Specific
Cases adopted by the IRI Parliament on 19/03/1995 is not applicable.
Article 719- When an injured person [in a car crash] needs urgent help and the driver, while being
capable of taking the injured person to a medical center or calling for help from police forces, or in
order to escape from prosecution leaves the scene and abandons the injured person, he shall be

sentenced to more than two-thirds of the punishment provided in articles 714 and 715 and 716. The
court is not allowed to mitigate the punishment under this article.
Note 1- The driver is allowed to move the vehicle from the accident scene to perform the duties
mentioned in this article, [only] if there is no other way to help the injured person.
Note 2- In all the above mentioned cases, when the driver takes the injured person to a place for
treatment and rest, or informs the relevant officials about the incident, or if by any means facilitates
the injured persons treatment and rest and relief, the court shall consider mitigating his punishment.
Article 720- Anyone who manipulates the numbers and specifications of plates of land or marine or
farming motorized vehicles, or attaches another motorized vehicles plate to it, or attaches a false
plate, or uses such vehicles while being aware of the false or manipulated plate, and also anybody
who, without permission from the traffic police, changes the chassis or motor or plate numbers of
motorized vehicles or motor or chassis plates which are carved or installed by the manufacturer
company, or changes its original form, shall be sentenced to six months to one year of
imprisonment.
Article 721- Anyone who wants to junk a motorized vehicle must first report the issue and the place
the car is parked to the local traffic police office. The traffic police must issue the permission within
one week and if for some reason they disagree with junking [the vehicle], inform the applicant about
its decision within the same period. If the traffic police do not declare their decision in the said period,
junking the vehicle is permitted after the deadline is expired. Violation of this article shall be
punishable by two months to one year of imprisonment.
Article 722- If a motorized vehicle or its plate is stolen or lost, the possessor of the vehicle, whether
or not he is the owner of the vehicle, as soon as he becomes aware, shall report the issue to the
nearest police station. Violation of this article shall be punishable by five hundred thousand to one
million Rials.
Article 723- Anyone who, without an official driving license, drives or operates a motorized vehicle
that requires a special license, and also anyone who is banned by a court decision from driving a
motorized vehicle, drives the aforementioned vehicles, in the first instance shall be sentenced to up
to two months tazir imprisonment or a fine of up to one million Rials or both the punishments, and in
the case of recurrence shall be sentenced to two to six months imprisonment.
Article 724- Any driver of a vehicle that deliberately manipulates the speed-recorder equipment of
the vehicle so that the equipment shows a lower speed than the actual speed, or drives the vehicle
while being aware that the said equipment is manipulated, in the first instance shall be sentenced to
ten days to two months imprisonment or a fine of fifty thousand to five hundred thousand Rials or
both the punishments, and in the case of recurrence shall be sentenced to six months to two to six
months imprisonment.
Article 725- If any government official who is responsible for the assessment of driving skills and
issuance of driving licenses, issues a driving license for an incompetent applicant, they shall be

sentenced to six months to one year of tazir imprisonment and five years prohibition from civil
service and the aforementioned license shall be revoked.
Article 726- An accessory to a tazir crime shall be punished with the minimum punishment provided
for the same crime.
Article 727- The crimes mentioned in articles 558, 559, 560, 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, later part
of article 596, 608, 622, 633, 642, 648, 668, 669, 676, 677, 679, 682, 684, 685, 690, 692, 694, 697,
699, and 700 shall not be prosecuted unless by complaint of a private complainant and if the private
complainant forgives [waives his complaint] the court may mitigate the punishment of the offender, or
according to the Sharia provisions abandon the prosecution.
Article 728- Considering the characteristics of a crime and the offender and the number of instances
in which the crime was committed, when delivering the judgment and if required, the court may apply
the rules regarding mitigation or the suspension of punishment and supplementary and substitute
punishments such as the temporary deprivation of public services.