Iran’s Criminal Policy Toward Piracy in the Context of Contemporary Developments: Evaluation of Challenges and Legal Solutions
Keywords:
Modern piracy, criminal policy, criminal law, piracy bill, domestic lawAbstract
Modern piracy, as an organized and transnational crime, constitutes a serious threat to maritime security, international trade, and the legal order governing the seas. The primary objective of this study is to elucidate the theoretical foundations and assess the effectiveness of Iran’s domestic criminal policy in addressing contemporary forms of piracy, as well as to propose an integrated criminal policy model compatible with the transnational nature of this crime. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical method; within the domain of Iran’s domestic law, it examines the Piracy Bill comprising 20 articles, which seeks to criminalize acts of piracy, establish jurisdiction, and prescribe proportionate penalties for offenders, in alignment with the coherence of global criminal policy against this phenomenon. The findings indicate that an effective criminal policy against modern piracy must be grounded in an integrated approach—one that, while utilizing universal jurisdiction and transnational prosecution, emphasizes institutional coordination and international cooperation. From a theoretical perspective, the legitimacy of punishment in this domain is grounded less in retribution and more in the protection of the shared global legal order and the safeguarding of collective international security. Accordingly, the proposed model, through the integration of criminal justice principles and structured international cooperation, provides a coherent framework for combating modern piracy.
Downloads
References
1. Razavifard B, Faraji M. International Criminal Law. Tehran: Mizan Publishing; 2015. 123 p.
2. Kazemi SS. Human rights considerations in the criminal confrontation with the phenomenon of piracy. Human Rights Biannual. 2020;15(1):34-5.
3. Guilfoyle D. Shipping Interdiction and the Law of the Sea: Cambridge University Press; 2019. 135-49 p.
4. Khani Hemmatabad F. The necessity of criminalizing piracy in Iranian criminal law [Master's Thesis]: University of Isfahan, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics; 2020.
5. Ziaei AH. Piracy [Master's Thesis]: Shiraz University, Faculty of Law and Political Science; 2012.
6. Sarfaraz R. Challenges of applying universal jurisdiction over the crime of piracy from the perspective of international criminal law [Master's Thesis]: Farvardin Higher Education Institute; 2024.
7. Feizi Y. Investigating the measures of the international community to combat maritime piracy with an emphasis on Iranian criminal law [Master's Thesis]: Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Faculty of Humanities; 2018.
8. Ghasemi G. Actions of the international community in countering modern piracy. Iranian Research Letter of International Politics. 2019;7(2):43.
9. Mohaghegh G. Investigating the role and position of the Coast Guard in applying maritime security conventions with an emphasis on the Marine Guard of the Islamic Republic of Iran [Master's Thesis]: Payame Noor University of Bushehr Province, Assaluyeh Center; 2021.
10. Souri M. Piracy. Proceedings of Piracy from the Perspective of International Law. Tehran: Iranian Association for UN Studies; 2010. p. 21.
11. Shamlou B, Sajjadi SA. Challenges of the contemporary international legal system in the effective fight against piracy. Criminal Law Doctrines Quarterly. 2018(51):93-126.
12. Shojaei Asl Kalibar R. Piracy in the light of international documents. Qezavat Monthly. 2021(72):65.
13. Abdolhosseini A. Piracy and the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2005-2013) [Master's Thesis]: School of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 2022.
14. Farnoush J. Rules and mechanisms of the international community and Iran in the field of maritime crimes. International Relations Research Quarterly. 2021;10(2):110.
15. Mohammadbagheri G. Criminological investigation of piracy [Master's Thesis]: University of Tehran, Faculty of Law; 2011.
16. Foroughifar J, Mazidi Sharafabadi A, Rahmat MR. Rules and mechanisms of the international community and Iran in the field of maritime crimes. International Relations Research Quarterly. 2020;10(2):119.
17. Sajjadpour SMK, Abdolhosseini A. Iran and the security threat of piracy. Foreign Policy. 2017;31(3):7.
18. Cheshmeh Khavar Sa-D. Piracy from the perspective of international law: Investigating the legal effects of Security Council resolutions on international law. Proceedings of Piracy from the Perspective of International Law: Iranian Association for UN Studies; 2019. p. 123.
19. Hasanpour M, Mirarab Razi R. The necessity of criminalizing piracy in Iranian criminal law. Political Science, Law and Jurisprudence Studies. 2017;3(2):37-45.
20. Hoseinpour K, Irani S. Legal challenges and perspectives of applying Iran's jurisdiction in the fight against pirates, emphasizing the education of the law of the sea. Journal of Marine Science. 2018(42):4.
21. Khabazi Kenari M. IMO's proposal to use firearms on ships to combat pirates. Payam-e Darya Monthly. 2010(45):114-24.
22. Sobhanifar MJ, Nabavi SM, Ghasempour E. The theory of establishing an international court to combat the crime of piracy. Law Quarterly, Journal of the Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran. 2013;43(4):113-28.
23. Seifi B. An analysis of the performance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in providing maritime security with an emphasis on combating piracy within the framework of international law (presenting educational approaches). Marine Science Education. 2023;10(1):9.
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Bahareh Mojdehi, Seyed Sajjad Kazemi, Hamidreza Adabi, Yaser Roustaei Hosseinabadi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
