Tannaz Kolahchian: Under the New Law on Intensifying Espionage, Any Citizen Can Be Accused of Espionage/ Ali Kalaei

After the adoption and communication of the “Law on Intensifying Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States Against National Security and Interests” in October 2025 (Mehr 1404), concerns have intensified in Iran over the expansion of the security atmosphere, the broadening of criminalization, and the escalation of severe punishments, including […]...

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Saeed Peyvandi: The Law on Intensifying Punishment for Espionage Will Deepen Hostility Between Society and the Government/ Nafiseh Sharafaldini

Following the adoption and communication of the “Law on Intensifying Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States Against National Security and Interests,” extensive debates have emerged regarding the legal, political, and social consequences of this law. Many critics believe that the expansion of concepts such as “cooperation with a hostile […]...

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Comparing the New Law on Intensifying Punishment for Espionage with Previous Laws/ Sina Yousefi

In contemporary criminal law systems, the crime of espionage has always been classified among the most serious offenses against national security, because it concerns attacks on the fundamental interests of the state and the disclosure of information that may endanger the country’s political, military, or diplomatic security. However, the gravity of this crime has never […]...

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Examining the Ambiguity and Expansion of the Crime of Espionage in Iranian Criminal Law/ Mousa Barzin

After the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, the number of cases related to espionage and cooperation with hostile states increased significantly. The atmosphere in the country after the war became highly securitized, and the government tried to show that a significant part of the damage and blows suffered had resulted from intelligence infiltration and […]...

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Repression and Execution Under the Unforgivable Charge of Espionage/ Morteza Hamounian

Each time, the government finds a new pretext to take human lives; a government that, throughout its existence, has shown that it places no value on the lives of citizens. The latest example became clear during the war between the United States and Israel and Iran, when it was revealed that for years, massive budgets […]...

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From the Crime of “Espionage” to the Criminalization of “Intent to Collaborate”/ Maryam Abedi

Crimes against national security have always been regarded among the most sensitive and severe areas of criminal law. In all legal systems, governments consider the protection of secrets, classified information, vital facilities, and security structures to be among the fundamental elements of their political and sovereign survival. For this reason, espionage is recognized as one […]...

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Comparative Comparison of Spy and Espionage in the Law of Iran and Other Countries / Eldar Khiavi

The public atmosphere in Iran has become heavy and frightening in recent months with the news of the successive executions of individuals convicted of espionage. The term “espionage” is not a common term in public opinion, especially in times of war, external threat, or security crisis. This charge is linked to the security of the […]...

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New law increases penalties for espionage and blurs boundaries between financial transactions/ Shabnam Moeinipour

The discussion of espionage, cooperation with intelligence services of other countries or financing of violent acts are undoubtedly legitimate areas of criminal law intervention. No responsible legal system can be indifferent to real threats to the lives of citizens, territorial integrity, public security and critical infrastructure. But the problem begins when “national security” is transformed […]...

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Execution in the name of security; Intensification of the crackdown on espionage charges in Iran/ Nafiseh Motlagh

Following the escalation of military tensions and attacks by the United States and Israel, the judicial process of dealing with charges of “espionage” and “collaboration with hostile states” in Iran has entered a new phase. What is more controversial than the laws themselves is the way they are implemented: expedited proceedings, lack of transparency, and […]...

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Media Cooperation with Abroad: Where Is the Boundary Between Reporting and Espionage?/ Mustafa Danandeh

During the two twelve-day and forty-day wars, the relationship between “media activity” and “national security” in Iran entered a new stage. A stage in which sending a video, publishing a report, or even speaking with media outlets outside the country can be interpreted under concepts such as “cooperation with a hostile state” or “espionage.” The […]...

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The Expansion of Securitizing Activism in the New Law Intensifying Punishment for Espionage/ Sara Qoreyshi

An Ordinary Day, an Extraordinary Accusation It is ten o’clock at night. From the window of your apartment, you hear chants. You pick up your phone, record a few seconds of video, and send it to a news channel outside the country. The next day, you face a summons whose title is not “publishing an […]...

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A Comparative Review of the Conflicts Between the New Law Intensifying Punishment for Espionage and the Fundamental Rights of the People/ Iman Soleimani

The law titled “Intensifying Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile Countries Against National Security and Interests” (approved by Parliament in Mehr 1404 and confirmed by the Guardian Council) is among the Islamic Republic’s recent security laws, prescribing heavy punishments such as execution and full confiscation of property for a wide […]...

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