Iran Moves To Criminalise Insults Against Islamic Republic Flag
Iran Moves To Criminalise Insults Against Islamic Republic Flag
“One of the things we unfortunately witnessed during the recent wars, was that some people insulted national symbols, particularly the sacred flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Kazemi said.
Iran’s judiciary is drafting legislation to criminalise insults against the country’s national flag, following reports that some people disrespected the symbol during recent wars, judiciary spokesman Seyed Ali Kazemi said on Wednesday.
Kazemi disclosed the plan in comments to the ISNA news agency, saying authorities had witnessed incidents involving the flag during the conflicts. He described the flag as a sacred national symbol and said the proposed legislation would address such acts.
“One of the things we unfortunately witnessed during the recent wars, was that some people insulted national symbols, particularly the sacred flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Kazemi said.
According to Iran international, the proposed legislation comes amid concerns over the absence of a specific legal provision prescribing punishment for insulting Iran’s flag. Iranian judicial authorities had previously acknowledged that the country’s laws did not explicitly provide penalties for the offence.
In 2016, a proposal was introduced to punish people who insulted the flag with prison terms ranging from six months to two years.
However, the available report does not state whether the earlier proposal was passed or whether the current draft would retain the same penalties.
Iran adopted its current national flag in 1980, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It replaced the historic Lion and Sun flag, which had been associated with the country before the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
The judiciary has not announced when the draft legislation will be completed or presented for approval. Details of the proposed penalties and the process for enacting the law have also not been disclosed.
