"The new bill keeps the interpretation of the crimes so widely open that any activity can now be easily labeled as 'corruption [of] earth,' while formerly the same actions would be ruled as softer crimes like 'propaganda against the regime' and had shorter imprisonment sentences," the lawyer added. Authorities did not specifically say the attack was motivated by the fatwa, but did note that the New Jersey man convicted of attempted murder in the 2022 stabbing attack was "an individual with strong indicators of ideological support for the Iranian regime." Elaborating on the role of the fatwas in Islamic Republic's judicial system, the lawyer noted that, based on the Iranian constitution, the judges are allowed to ask for a fatwa or issue sentences based on "credible fatwas" if the existing law upon trial has not specified a crime.
Author: Somayeh Malekian
Published at: 2025-06-30 21:31:00
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