Deprivation of Social and Political Rights as Special Sanctions in the Legal Systems of Iran and selected European countries

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Payam-e-Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.

Abstract

Accountability of public officials and citizens for committed offenses constitutes a fundamental pillar of democratic legal systems. Deprivation of social and political rights as a special sanction serves as a key instrument for ensuring such accountability. In European jurisdictions, beyond conventional criminal and administrative penalties such as imprisonment and fines, specialized sanctions are provided, including disqualification from public office, ineligibility to stand for election, deprivation of the right to vote, and permanent or temporary bans from re-entering electoral processes. These measures—applied to both administrative functions (day-to-day executive duties) and sovereign functions (high-level political decision-making)—pursue primarily preventive and democracy-protecting objectives. In contrast, the Iranian legal system predominantly relies on criminal and administrative sanctions such as disqualification from public service and ineligibility for candidacy, with a primary focus on offenses related to administrative functions. Offenses arising from the exercise of sovereign authority receive significantly less attention and lack specific sanctions. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, this study conducts a comparative examination of the Iranian legal framework and leading European systems. Findings indicate that adopting certain European models—temporary deprivation of electoral rights, independent oversight mechanisms, and a clearer distinction between administrative and criminal sanctions—could substantially enhance political accountability within Iran’s governance structure.

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References

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Criminal Law Research
Volume 17, Issue 2 - Serial Number 34
Papers
November 2026
Pages 191-209

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