DOCSLIB.ORG

The Presidency and the Struggle for Political Authority, 1989- 2009. Siav

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Presidency and the Struggle for Political Authority, 1989- 2009. Siav Intra-State Relations in the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Presidency and the Struggle for Political Authority, 1989- 2009. Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London This thesis has been submitted for the degree of PhD in History in September 2011. 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: ______________________ Date: 2 Abstract This thesis is a study of the creation and evolution of the presidential institution in post- Khomeini Iran. It argues that the two decades under consideration have witnessed a continuous struggle, by successive presidents, for the recognition of their constitutional authority and its augmentation, which were considered by all presidents as a necessary step towards the fulfilment of their initial aspirations. The lack of success of all the presidents in achieving the latter objective, and the constant undermining of successive incumbents by other political actors, are explained in order to highlight the unique nature of the presidency in contemporary Iran. This falls short of being fully described by concepts and frameworks derived from elements of political theory relevant to classical Western definitions and notions regarding state institutions. This study specifically focuses upon the accession and tenure of three successive presidents, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It initially provides a broad historical overview of the relevant state institutions in the pre-revolutionary period, with a view to understanding their development structurally and thematically. The emergence of the unique post- revolutionary executive branch and political elite of the state during the first decade of existence of the Islamic Republic, with all their implications, are then discussed. Subsequently, the aforementioned presidents’ relationship with their surrounding political environment is explored with the purpose of explaining their modus operandi, their understanding of the presidency as an institution, and their decision-making at critical junctures within the contemporary context. The discussion also details their ties with the rest of the Islamic Republic’s political elite. The thesis is the second book-length analysis of a state institution of the Islamic Republic to emerge within the English-language academic context. It therefore seeks to augment the existing literature on both the structure of the contemporary Iranian state and the state-building processes undergone in Iran in the modern era. 3 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 7 NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION ............................................................................................... 9 GLOSSARY OF THE MOST COMMONLY-USED PERSIAN TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 10 INTRODUCTION AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................... 12 --The presidential innovation ................................................................................................ 14 INSTITUTIONS AND ELITES – AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................... 16 --Defining the “Political Environment” ................................................................................ 20 AIMS AND METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 23 --Outline and Positioning within the Existing Academic Literature ..................................... 24 CHAPTER 1 - DIMENSIONS OF THE STATE IN THE QAJAR AND PAHLAVI ERAS 27 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 27 PART ONE – THE QAJAR ERA ..................................................................................................... 27 --The early Qajar era ............................................................................................................ 27 --The Constitutional Revolution ............................................................................................ 29 --The Constitution of 1906 ..................................................................................................... 30 PART TWO – THE PAHLAVI ERA ................................................................................................ 31 --Reza Khan’s Autocratic Modernisation .............................................................................. 31 --The Second Pahlavi Era ...................................................................................................... 32 --Patterns of Intra-Elite Organisation ................................................................................... 34 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 36 CHAPTER 2 - THE EMERGENCE OF THE POLITICAL CLASS OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC ................................................................................................................................... 37 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 37 PART ONE – THE EARLY STAGES OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC’S POLITICAL CLASS .................. 37 -- From Pre-Revolutionary Rebels to Post-Revolutionary Holders Of State Power. ............ 37 PART TWO – THE MODUS OPERANDI OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC’S POLITICAL CLASS ............ 40 --The Internal Forms of Organisation during Khomeini's Time ........................................... 40 --The Khomeini Style of Governance ..................................................................................... 43 --A Mixed Political Class ...................................................................................................... 45 --The Emergence of Different Visions of the State. ............................................................... 46 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 47 CHAPTER 3 – THE GENESIS AND EVOLUTION OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, 1979-1989 ....................................................................................................................................... 49 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 49 PART ONE – THE CREATION OF THE POST-REVOLUTIONARY EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF STATE 49 --The First Draft Text ............................................................................................................ 50 --Khomeini’s Remarks on the First Draft Text ...................................................................... 51 --Montazeri’s Rejoinder to the June Text .............................................................................. 53 --The Final Definition of the Executive Branch .................................................................... 53 PART TWO – THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN THE EIGHTIES .......................................................... 57 --The First Presidential Elections of the Islamic Republic ................................................... 57 --The Institutional Struggles of Bani-Sadr’s Presidency ....................................................... 58 --The Downfall of Bani-Sadr ................................................................................................. 62 --The Rise to the Presidency of Ali Khamene'i ...................................................................... 64 --The Contentious Process for the Selection of Prime Minister Mousavi ............................. 66 --The Presidential Elections of 1985 ..................................................................................... 67 PART THREE – THE PRESIDENCY REDEFINED ............................................................................ 70 4 --The 1986 Parliamentary Bill on the Powers and Duties of the Presidency ....................... 70 --The Revision of the Constitution in 1989 ............................................................................ 71 CHAPTER 4 – THE PRESIDENCY OF HASHEMI RAFSANJANI AND THE QUEST FOR SĀZANDEGI ....................................................................................................................... 77 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 77 PART ONE – RAFSANJANI'S FIRST MANDATE (1989-1993) ....................................................... 78 -- Rafsanjani's Rise to the Presidency ................................................................................... 78 --The Formation of Rafsanjani's First Cabinet ..................................................................... 84 --The Imperative and Perils of Economic Reform: The First Development Plan of the Islamic Republic ...................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • National Security Imperatives and the Neorealist State: Iran and Realpolitik
    Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2000-12 National security imperatives and the neorealist state: Iran and realpolitik. Grogan, Michael S. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/7744 ^U^£SCHOou DUDLEY NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS NATIONAL SECURITY IMPERATIVES AND THE NEOREALIST STATE: IRAN AND REALPOLITIK by Michael S. Grogan December 2000 Thesis Co-Advisors: Ahmad Ghoreishi Glenn E. Robinson Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704- 0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202- 4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2000 Master's Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: Title (Mix case letters) 5. FUNDING NUMBERS National Security Imperatives and the Neorealist State: Iran and Realpolitik 6. AUTHOR(S) Michael S. Grogan 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) I. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING / MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11.
    [Show full text]
  • Wir Sind Die Medien
    Marcus Michaelsen Wir sind die Medien Kultur und soziale Praxis Marcus Michaelsen (Dr. phil.) promovierte in Medien- und Kommunikations- wissenschaft an der Universität Erfurt. Seine Forschungsschwerpunkte sind digitale Medien, Demokratisierung sowie die Politik und Gesellschaft Irans. Marcus Michaelsen Wir sind die Medien Internet und politischer Wandel in Iran Dieses Werk ist lizenziert unter der Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom- mercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Lizenz (BY-NC-ND). Diese Lizenz erlaubt die private Nutzung, gestattet aber keine Bearbeitung und keine kommerzielle Nutzung. Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.de/. Um Genehmigungen für Adaptionen, Übersetzungen, Derivate oder Wieder- verwendung zu kommerziellen Zwecken einzuholen, wenden Sie sich bitte an [email protected] © 2013 transcript Verlag, Bielefeld Die Verwertung der Texte und Bilder ist ohne Zustimmung des Verlages ur- heberrechtswidrig und strafbar. Das gilt auch für Vervielfältigungen, Über- setzungen, Mikroverfilmungen und für die Verarbeitung mit elektronischen Systemen. Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deut- schen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. Umschlagkonzept: Kordula Röckenhaus, Bielefeld Umschlagabbildung: Zohreh Soleimani Lektorat & Satz: Marcus Michaelsen Druck: Majuskel Medienproduktion GmbH, Wetzlar Print-ISBN 978-3-8376-2311-6
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Persian Gulf Policy
    IRAN’S PERSIAN GULF POLICY This book discusses the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the states of the Persian Gulf from 1979 to 1998. It covers the perceptions Iranians and Arabs have of each other, Islamic revolutionary ideology, the Iran–Iraq war, the Gulf Crisis, the election of President Khatami and finally the role of external powers, such as the United States, in the region. Iran’s foreign policy has been more ideology based in the past but has become increasingly pragmatic. Today, Iran’s Persian Gulf policy does not differ greatly from that under the Shah. By tracing the policy over the past two decades, including a large number of interviews, the book helps to anticipate the relationship between Iran and the Gulf states. Christin Marschall completed her MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies at St Antony’s College, Oxford, and received her PhD in History and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. She lives in London and travels frequently to Iran and the Arab world. The mightiest of the princes of the world Came to the least considered of his courtiers; Sat down upon the fountain’s marble edge, One hand amid the goldfish in the pool; And thereupon a colloquy took place That I commend to all the chroniclers To show how violent great hearts can lose Their bitterness and find the honeycomb. ‘The Gift of Harun al-Rashid’, W.B. Yeats IRAN’S PERSIAN GULF POLICY From Khomeini to Khatami Christin Marschall TO TIM First published 2003 by RoutledgeCurzon 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by RoutledgeCurzon 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.
    [Show full text]
  • Modernization and Political Parties: a Case Study of the Hashemi Rafsanjani Administration
    Modernization and Political Parties: A Case Study of the Hashemi Rafsanjani Administration * Prof. Dr. Elaheh Koolaee Professor of Regional Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. ** Dr. Yousef Mazarei PhD of Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Abstract This paper aims to explore the emergence of a political and social phenomenon, namely political parties, during a specific period in the history of contemporary Iran, in order to move beyond simple analyses and present a deeper and more accurate understanding of political parties in Iran. The question thatthis paper aims to answer pertains to the emergence (ISJ) Studies / Journal No. International of the Executives of the Construction of Iran Party (Kargozaran-e Sazandegi-e Iran) and the role of the Hashemi Rafsanjani administration’s modernization efforts. In order to do so, among three main theories, modernization theory has been selected as the theoretical framework. The paper also uses secondary data analysis as its methodology. In new theories of modernization, instead of focusing on ‘ideal types’, the focus is shifted toward historical features specific to each society. The findings of this research demonstrate that there is a direct link between the HashemiRafsaniani administration’s modernizations and the emergence of 57 / the Executives of the Construction of Iran Party (Kargozaran Party). This V administration’s modernization efforts caused a significant shift in Iran’s development indexes, which resulted in the revival of Iran’s new middle class and provided a basis for the foundation of Kargozaran Party and its victories in subsequent elections. The party became the major proponent of political and economic reform, social liberties, and cultural tolerance in Iran’s political arena.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran: 2021 Presidential Election
    By Nigel Walker 5 July 2021 Iran: 2021 presidential election Summary 1 Background 2 2021 presidential election commonslibrary.parliament.uk Number CBP-9269 Iran: 2021 presidential election Image Credits Iran flag by OpenClipart – Vectors from Pixabay / image cropped. Licensed under Pixabay License. Free for commercial use. No attribution required. Disclaimer The Commons Library does not intend the information in our research publications and briefings to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. We have published it to support the work of MPs. You should not rely upon it as legal or professional advice, or as a substitute for it. We do not accept any liability whatsoever for any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein. You should consult a suitably qualified professional if you require specific advice or information. Read our briefing ‘Legal help: where to go and how to pay’ for further information about sources of legal advice and help. This information is provided subject to the conditions of the Open Parliament Licence. Feedback Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in these publicly available briefings is correct at the time of publication. Readers should be aware however that briefings are not necessarily updated to reflect subsequent changes. If you have any comments on our briefings please email [email protected]. Please note that authors are not always able to engage in discussions with members of the public who express opinions about the content of our research, although we will carefully consider and correct any factual errors. You can read our feedback and complaints policy and our editorial policy at commonslibrary.parliament.uk.
    [Show full text]
  • 13952 Wednesday MAY 26, 2021 Khordad 5, 1400 Shawwal 14, 1442
    WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 43rd year No.13952 Wednesday MAY 26, 2021 Khordad 5, 1400 Shawwal 14, 1442 EU welcomes extension Skocic names Iran 29 mining projects Iranian, Russian universities of surveillance deal squad for World Cup ready to go operational launch Iranistica between Iran, IAEA Page 3 qualifiers Page 3 across Iran Page 4 Encyclopedia project Page 8 Zarif holds high- level talks in Azerbaijan TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Iran presidential lineup Mohammad Javad Zarif has embarked See page 3 on a tour of the South Caucasus region amid soaring border tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The chief Iranian diplomat began his tour with a visit to Baku where he met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday. Continued on page 3 Water projects worth over $185m inaugurated TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian on Tuesday inaugurated seven major water industry projects valued at 7.81 trillion rials (about $185.9 million) through video conference in three prov- inces, IRIB reported. Put into operation in the eighth week of the ministry’s A-B-Iran program in the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 21), the said projects were inaugurated in Hormozgan, Fars, and Kurdestan provinces. Continued on page 4 “Ambushing a Rose” published in eight languages TEHRAN – Eight translations of “Ambushing a Rose”, a biography of Lieutenant-General Ali Sayyad Shirazi who served as commander of Ground Forces during the Iran–Iraq war, have recently been published.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the Role of State Identity in Foreign Policy Decision-Making
    The London School of Economics and Political Science UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF STATE IDENTITY IN FOREIGN POLICY DECISION-MAKING The Rise and Demise of Saudi–Iranian Rapprochement (1997–2009) ADEL ALTORAIFI A thesis submitted to the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics and Political Science for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy London, October 2012 1 To Mom and Dad—for everything. 2 DECLARATION I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the author. I warrant that this authorization does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. The final word count of this thesis, including titles, footnotes and in-text citations, is 105,889 words. 3 ABSTRACT The objective of the thesis is to study the concept of state identity and its role in foreign policy decision-making through a constructivist analysis, with particular focus on the Saudi–Iranian rapprochement of 1997. While there has been a recent growth in the study of ideational factors and their effects on foreign policy in the Gulf, state identity remains understudied within mainstream International Relations (IR), Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), and even Middle Eastern studies literature, despite its importance and manifestation in the region’s foreign policy discourses. The aim is to challenge purely realist and power-based explanations that have dominated the discourse on Middle Eastern foreign policy—and in particular, the examination of Saudi–Iranian relations.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Information from the Internet
    IRAN SUBMISSION TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE FOR THE 103RD SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE (17 OCTOBER – 4 NOVEMBER 2011) Amnesty International Publications First published in 2011 by Amnesty International Publications International Secretariat Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org © Amnesty International Publications 2011 Index: MDE 13/081/2011 Original Language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy, campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale. The copyright holders request that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for reuse in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be payable. To request permission, or for any other inquiries, please contact [email protected] Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations.
    [Show full text]
  • INSS Insight No. 1482, June 6, 2021 from Election to Selection: Iran's Path to a New President
    INSS Insight No. 1482, June 6, 2021 From Election to Selection: Iran's Path to a New President Raz Zimmt The decision by Iran’s Guardian Council to disqualify the vast majority of the candidates in the coming presidential elections, including former speaker of the Majlis Ali Larijani, and Eshaq Jahangiri, First Vice-President under President Rouhani, in effect leaves the hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as the only candidate with real chances of winning the elections. This decision is another reflection of the regime's efforts to strengthen the conservative hegemony in the political elite, especially in advance of the struggle over the succession of Iran's leadership. The regime's blatant intervention in the election process indicates that it is determined to maintain conservative control of power centers even at the cost of further undermining public confidence, and that it estimates that it is capable of suppressing any possible protest. On May 25, 2021, following the screening of all the presidential candidates, Iran’s Guardian Council announced it had approved seven final candidates, out of the 592 candidates (including 40 women) who registered for the elections scheduled for June 18. That the vast majority of the candidates were disqualified came as no surprise. Since the beginning of the 1980s, only a few candidates have passed the screening process under the 12-member Guardian Council, half of whom are clerics appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and half of whom are jurists appointed by the Judiciary Chief and approved by the Majlis. This time too, it was expected that the Council would disqualify any candidate it saw as someone who might undermine conservative hegemony in Iranian politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary Proceedings
    Summary Proceedings of the Forty-Fifth Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors September 25-27, 1990 International Monetary Fund Washington, D.C. ©International Monetary Fund. Not for Redistribution International Standard Serial Number ISSN 0074-7025 ©International Monetary Fund. Not for Redistribution CONTENTS Page Introductory Note ix Address by the President of the United States, George Bush 1 Opening Address by the Chairman of the Boards of Governors, the Governor of the Fund and the Bank for Kenya, George Saitoti . 5 Presentation of the Forty-Fifth Annual Report by the Chairman of the Executive Board and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, M. Camdessus 12 Discussion of Fund Policy at Second Joint Session Report by the Chairman of the Interim Committee of the Board of Governors on the International Monetary System, Michael H. Wilson 22 Statements by the Governors for Italy—Guido Carli* 25 Italy—Guido Carli 29 Indonesia—J. B. Sumarlin 33 France—Pierre Bérégovoy 38 Japan—Ryutaro Hashimoto 40 Côte d'lvoire—Kablan D. Duncan* 46 China—WANG Bingqian 52 Philippines—Jesus P. Estanislao 56 Kuwait—Sheikh Ali Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah 58 Austria—Ferdinand Lacina 61 Israel—Michael Bruno 63 Greece—Efthimios Christodoulou 67 Discussion of Fund Policy at Third Joint Session Report by the Chairman of the Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors on the Transfer of Real Resources to Developing Countries (Development Committee) B.T.G. Chidzero 73 Statements by the Governors for Islamic Republic of Iran—Mohsen Nourbakhsh 76 Federal Republic of Germany—Karl Otto Poehl 79 United Kingdom—John Major 83 India—Madhu Dandavate 87 *Speaking on behalf of a group of countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Eternal Figure for 2010
    Managing Director: Editorial Dept.: Advertisements Dept.: Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Poem of the day Tel: (+98 21) 88895450 Telefax: (+98 21) 88896970-71 Tel: (+98 21) 88808895 You know all secrets of this earthly sphere, Tel: (+98 21) 88800789 Fax: (+98(21) 88808214 [email protected] Why then remain a prey to empty fear? [email protected] Webmaster: You can not bend things to your will, but yet SINCE 1979 Switchboard Operator: Public Relations Office: [email protected] Cheer up for the few moments you are here! TEHRAN TIMES Khayyam No. 18, BIMEH LANE, NEJATOLLAHI ST., TEHRAN, IRAN Tel: (+98 21) 88800293-5 Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Printed at: Kayhan - ISSN: 1017-94 P.O. Box: 14155-4843 ZIP Code: 1599814713 Tomorrow’s weather Prayer Times 178 20-2 162 2112112 2122911 17-1 http://www.tehrantimes.com/culture Noon: 11:50 Evening: 17:14 Dawn: 5:18 Sunrise: 6:46 (tomorrow) (tomorrow) TEHRAN SHIRAZ TABRIZ YAZD RASHT MASHHAD AHVAZ ISFAHAN Iranian President Ahmadinejad sends elites praised message to Tehran short filmfest at Eternal Tehran Times Art Desk TEHRAN — The 27th edition of the Tehran International Short Film Festival opened with a cer- Figures emony on Friday noon during which a message from Presi- dent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Gathering was read. “The creative artists and Tehran Times Culture Desk young filmmakers can deepen TEHRAN — Iranian elites from various field our perspective of the world by including cultural luminaries were praised featuring the beauty of nature during the eighth Eternal Figures Gathering Honorees pose for a photograph at the Eighth Eternal Figures Gathering at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) International Conference Hall on November 18, 2010.
    [Show full text]
  • The Revolutionary Courts in Iran: Legality and Political Manipulation
    JOURNAL FOR IRANIAN STUDIES Specialized Studies A Peer-Reviewed Quarterly Periodical Journal Year 2, Issue8 , September 2018 ISSUED BY THE REVOLUTIONARY COURTS IN IRAN: LEGALITY AND POLITICAL MANIPULATION Motasem Seddiq Abdullah (Ph.D.) A researcher at the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) ollowing the victory of the French Revolution, the revo- Flutionaries established special courts, the Revolutionary Tribunal. The Tribunal tried and criminalized political offenders and anyone that defied the revolution, preventing its objectives and pillars from being consolidated. Many countries have followed France to consolidate their revolutions and coups by introducing a plethora of courts such as security courts, revolutionary courts, emergency courts, Islamic courts, people’s courts, exceptional courts, extraordinary courts, and others that have the same objective. These names came to distinguish them from specialized courts, that are assigned to handle certain crimes or prosecute certain categories of the accused.(1) Journal for Iranian Studies 17 A majority of revolutionary courts have a number of similarities. They lack basic legal rules for a fair trial. They do not grant the accused the right to defend himself or to appoint a lawyer to defend him. The trials are speedy and there is no detailed hearing of the offense nor the charge. The revolutionary courts aim to hasten trials for attaining two goals: first, to satisfy the thirst for revolutionary revenge, and second, to purge symbols, as well as, loyalists of the former re- gime who could resist the trajectory of the revolution.(2) This is the case with Iran’s revolutionary courts, that executed hundreds, particularly targeting former Shah officials, mostly senior offi- cials, officers and soldiers of the army and intelligence services.
    [Show full text]