President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that Iran’s judiciary must be independent from the political fray and uphold the rule of law, in a rare criticism of the conservative-dominated body.
The self-declared moderate President was speaking at a gathering of hundreds of judges, among them judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq larijani.“The judiciary branch must remain non-partisan. The rulings of a court must be meted out by the court, not by someone who feels as if he has influence,” Rouhani said in the remarks broadcast live on state television.
“Political factions can comment on issues but they should not be allowed to issue a ruling. No lobbying group must be able to influence the court or the judge,” he added, without giving any examples.A pro-Rouhani university professor, Sadeq Zibakalam, was given a year-long jail sentence this week for criticising conservative opponents of the government’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with world powers.
Some of Rouhani’s troubles with the judiciary stem from factional challenges. But his more liberal views on implementing social freedoms in the Islamic republic has also sparked rows.last month, he came under fire from hardline clerics and authorities, including larijani, for arguing against the use of force to promote cultural and religious values, saying: “One cannot take people to heaven by force and the use of a whip.”