Iran's Criminal Policy in Addressing Economic Crimes and Strategies for Overcoming the Related Crisis in Iran

Abstract

This article aims to assess Iran’s criminal policy in addressing economic crimes and the strategies for overcoming the related crisis in Iran using a descriptive and analytical approach. Unfortunately, the lack of centralized statistics, coupled with the non-simultaneity of the occurrence and detection of these crimes, hinders the possibility of conducting a comprehensive assessment of criminal policy regarding this phenomenon. This limitation prevents a correct and complete analysis of crime trends and makes it impossible to provide a definitive opinion on the factors influencing the occurrence or detection of economic crimes. As a result, judgments are based on the available data within each sector, which is inevitably incomplete and incapable of offering a realistic depiction of economic crimes. The findings indicate that the existence of parallel organizations responsible for addressing economic crimes, including the General Inspection Organization, security departments of administrative institutions, the Ministry of Intelligence, and others, has led to a lack of coordination in the prediction, prevention, and detection of economic crimes. Some studies have pointed to the multiplicity of anti-crime organizations and their overlapping responsibilities. However, the issue has not been scientifically and systematically examined in research. Given the aforementioned considerations, it can be concluded that combating economic criminals and corrupt actors requires the enactment of new laws, the amendment and updating of certain outdated laws, the provision of a clear and comprehensive definition of economic crime, and the establishment of a unified and accountable structure with full legal authority. This structure should aim to eliminate organizational redundancy, prevent parallel operations among enforcement agencies, and enhance the role of criminal investigation police in combating economic crimes.