Criminal matters range from financial offences such as fraud and criminal breach of trust to offences against persons, documents and computer-related interests. The legal classification, evidence attributing the conduct and procedural stage must be identified separately from the outset.
In many cases, the boundary between a civil dispute and criminal conduct is decisive. Breach of contract, a debt, or a financial dispute is not always an offence; conversely, some conduct may create independent criminal liability in addition to its civil consequences.
A criminal complaint, preliminary investigation, defence of the accused, prosecutor’s-office orders, indictment, and challenges each have their own rules, and action at every stage must match the actual contents of the case file.
Request a consultation with Fatemeh RakidehWhere a complaint, summons, accusation or suspicious conduct may have criminal consequences, identify the applicable offence, preserve evidence and observe deadlines before acting hastily.
Identifying the alleged offence: The actual conduct is assessed against the statutory elements of the offence, to avoid choosing a more serious-sounding allegation that the evidence does not support.
Organizing the evidence: Documents, messages, transactions, video, testimony and digital data are organised by relevance and attribution.
Distinguishing civil and criminal aspects: A claim for payment, damages or contractual performance may follow a route separate from criminal prosecution. In some circumstances, both routes may be available.
Managing the preliminary investigation: Statements, expert examinations, official inquiries, summonses, and precautionary procedural orders must be aligned with the stage before the prosecutor’s office and the subject of the case.
Defence of the accused person: The defence focuses on the offence elements, attribution of the conduct, reliability of evidence and procedural or substantive defects in the case.
Objection and follow-up: A non-prosecution decision, a court judgment, and other appealable decisions are each subject to their own statutory conditions and time limits.
Where forgery or use of a forged document is alleged, the validity and legal effects of the official deed may also need to be determined, separately from the criminal issue, through civil proceedings.
More informationImportant criminal-law topics with distinct search intent have their own pages. Choose the topic that matches the actual complaint, accusation or stage of your case.
Deception and fraudulent conduct, obtaining property, evidence for a complaint, the distinction from a contractual dispute, restitution of property, and key points in criminal follow-up.
The terms on which property or a document was entrusted, the obligation to return it or use it for a specified purpose, evidence, the distinction from debt and contractual disputes, and the complaint procedure.
Unauthorized withdrawal, online fraud, preservation of digital evidence, messages and transactions, FATA police and the criminal complaint route.
Elements of the offence, the transferor’s and transferee’s knowledge, ownership documents, the difference from an unauthorised transaction, and the route for a criminal complaint.
Forgery of a signature or writing; private and official instruments; knowing use of a forged document; and the expert examination and evidence required for complaint and defence.
Theft complaints, proof of the taking of property, CCTV and witnesses, stolen property, types of ta’zir theft offences and key points for proceedings before the prosecutor’s office and court.
Complaints concerning physical altercations and bodily injury, forensic medical assessment, witnesses and video, diyah compensation or qisas where applicable, and key points on evidence and criminal defence.
Complaints about threats made in person, by telephone or through messaging services; preserving messages and recordings; evidence; the distinction from insult; and criminal defence considerations.
The distinction between abusive language and accusing someone of a crime, complaints about messages or published content, evidence and identification of the applicable offence.
Conditions for criminal proceedings over dishonoured cheques, certificates of non-payment, statutory deadlines, cheques outside the criminal route and the distinction from claims for payment.
Publication of private images or information and false statements; preservation of digital evidence, attribution of the account and the complaint procedure.
The events, possible offence, evidence, prosecutor’s-office investigation, final orders and follow-up stages.
Reviewing the charge and evidence, defence rights, preliminary investigations, orders securing the accused’s appearance, court defence and preparation of case-specific written submissions.
The meaning of a non-prosecution order, the statutory deadline and competent authority for a challenge, preparation of the grounds, and the distinction between incomplete investigation and insufficient evidence.
Precise identification of the criminal offence: Fraud, criminal breach of trust, transfer of another person’s property, theft, forgery, and other offences have different elements. Superficial similarity of the facts should not lead to selection of the wrong legal characterisation.
Distinguishing a civil dispute from a crime: Many financial or contractual disputes are not necessarily crimes. Before filing a criminal complaint, it is necessary to assess whether the alleged conduct has criminal elements or whether a civil route is more appropriate.
Preserving and assessing evidence: Assess documents, messages, images, transactions, testimony, official reports and digital data for authenticity, attribution and relevance to the case.
Managing the public prosecutor’s office stage: Preliminary investigations, summonses, statements, expert examinations, orders securing the accused’s appearance and final decisions have distinct effects. Each step must fit the procedural stage.
Defence tailored to the case: Ready-made texts cannot replace case-specific defence of an accused person or representation of a complainant. The offence elements, evidence, previous statements and procedural and substantive objections must be assessed together.
Monitoring deadlines and objections: Objections to criminal orders and judgments are subject to legal deadlines and conditions. The date of notification and the type of decision must be checked before any action.
Iranian Islamic Penal Code, enacted in 1392 SH, as amended
Book Five of the Iranian Islamic Penal Code (Ta’zir and Deterrent Punishments), enacted in 1375 SH, as amended
Iranian Code of Criminal Procedure, as subsequently amended.
Iranian Act on Reduction of Ta’zir Imprisonment («قانون کاهش مجازات حبس تعزیری»)
This list identifies the principal legal provisions relevant to the page. The applicable law and amendments must be checked against the dates, subject matter and circumstances of each case.
The official texts and latest amendments are available in the National Database of Iranian Laws and Regulations.
For legal advice or follow-up on a case, contact us using one of the methods below.
