Speech by the Head of Iran's Judiciary at the opening and closing ceremony of the 20th meeting of heads of judicial systems of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States

According to the Judiciary's Media Center, Mohseni Ejei, Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Judiciary, spoke on Wednesday (23 April) at the opening ceremony of the 20th Meeting of Heads of Judicial Systems of SCO member states in Hangzhou, China.

The Head of Iran's Judiciary, following the host country's speech, was the second official to address the SCO judicial meeting.

In his speech, referring to the challenges and issues facing the global community, the Head of Iran's Judiciary described the gathering of judicial authorities from SCO member states as an excellent opportunity to develop and expand legal and judicial cooperation and adopt a pragmatic approach to these challenges.

Outlining the areas of convergence among SCO member states, the Head of the Judiciary stated: "The SCO judicial meeting is held at a time when the world faces serious challenges such as unilateralism, criminal use of communication and information technologies, terrorism, human rights violations, threats to regional and international peace and security, and organized crime. The gathering of the highest judicial authorities of SCO member states provides a suitable platform for friendly discussions on legal and judicial cooperation and adopting a pragmatic, constructive, and serious approach to interaction and collaboration."

Referring to the threat posed by terrorist groups to international peace and security, he said: "Terrorism and the actions of terrorist groups, which threaten international peace and security, including in some SCO member states, have claimed the lives of over 23,000 innocent people in the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past four decades, martyring them. The criminal justice systems of SCO member states must closely cooperate to prosecute and punish these criminals and their supporters."

Addressing the issue of "sanctions" and "unilateralism" by some countries claiming to uphold human rights, the Head of Iran's Judiciary stated: "In addition to terrorism, some SCO member states are subject to unilateral sanctions by certain countries claiming to champion human rights. The imposition and enforcement of these sanctions are in clear violation of international law, the UN Charter, and various human rights, including the right to life, education, health, development, and welfare. Therefore, SCO member states must not only enhance their economic and commercial cooperation to counter sanctions but also prioritize legal and judicial pursuits against those imposing and enforcing sanctions, as well as support for the victims of sanctions."

Referring to the genocide and ongoing brutal and savage crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza, he said: "The genocide and war crimes of the Zionist regime, which began in October 2023, continue unabated. According to reports, the number of martyrs from these crimes exceeds 51,000, with over 116,000 injured. Over 70% of the victims are women and children, and two million Gaza residents have faced forced displacement. Gaza's critical infrastructure has been completely destroyed, and no place—hospitals, schools, mosques, or historical sites—is safe from Zionist aggression and destruction. Meanwhile, the perpetrators of these crimes, despite being pursued by the international criminal justice system, freely travel to certain countries. The Zionist regime’s crimes, which blatantly violate human rights and humanitarian law, are unfortunately fully supported by these countries."

Commenting on the harsh and hostile approach of some self-proclaimed human rights advocates toward those protesting the genocide in Gaza, he said: "The atrocities in Gaza and the violent, inhumane treatment of professors, students, and people supporting the oppressed Palestinian nation in the United States and some Western countries clearly demonstrate that they place no value on humanity!"

In concluding his speech at the opening ceremony of the 20th Meeting of Heads of Judicial Systems of SCO member states, Mohseni Ejei proposed eight practical and specific measures to further enhance coordination and legal and judicial cooperation among member states.

These eight measures are:

1 - Strengthening judicial cooperation in combating transnational crimes by establishing joint mechanisms, such as creating a "judicial information-sharing platform" among member states to expedite the prosecution of criminals and forming a joint task force to counter drug trafficking networks.

2 - Harmonizing laws to combat terrorism by developing legal frameworks for prosecuting terrorists and preventing their misuse of cyberspace.

3 - Developing judicial diplomacy in cybercrime by forming a joint cyber committee to establish standards for collecting digital evidence and conducting joint exercises to simulate cyberattacks and judicial responses.

4 - Reducing commercial disputes by establishing an "SCO International Arbitration Center" to address economic disputes.

5 - Combating human trafficking and supporting victims by strengthening protective laws, cooperating on criminal extradition, creating a shared database on human trafficking groups, and providing victim rehabilitation programs with the participation of NGOs.

6 - Protecting the environment and addressing cross-border environmental crimes, such as waste trafficking and water pollution, by adopting a joint protocol for prosecuting environmental crimes and establishing a monitoring network for violations in border areas.

7 - Exchanging experiences in smartening judicial systems to improve judicial efficiency using modern technologies, through holding annual summits on digital transformation in judicial systems and creating an online training platform for judges on information technology.

8 - Strengthening dialogue among judicial systems to promote mutual understanding of legal systems by establishing an "SCO Legal Education and Research Center" to conduct training courses for judges and police on emerging crimes, perform comparative studies, and publish a joint journal on legal challenges.

Presentation of 6 strategic and operational measures to enhance judicial cooperation among SCO member states by the Head of Judiciary of Islamic Republic of Iran

According to the Judiciary's Media Center, at the closing ceremony of the 20th Meeting of the Heads of Judicial Systems of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Hangzhou, China, the Chief Justice of the Islamic Republic of Iran delivered a speech.

The Chief Justice expressed Iran’s readiness to share its judicial system’s experiences with SCO members in areas such as fundamental legal reforms, strengthening judicial independence, reducing case processing times, developing dispute resolution councils, arbitration, mediation, leveraging public participation, and prioritizing citizens’ rights and satisfaction.

He emphasized that Iran’s judicial system utilizes modern technologies to facilitate access to justice, particularly in remote and deprived areas, ensuring equal justice for all citizens.

Highlighting global transformations and complex legal and judicial challenges, the Chief Justice stressed the importance of international cooperation in combating corruption, organized crime, terrorism, and human rights violations. He noted that the SCO, with its vast potential, could serve as a successful model for fostering judicial and security synergy.

He underscored that closer interaction among SCO member states could lead to more effective measures against common challenges, particularly transnational crimes. Iran, he added, is ready to share its experiences, learn from others, and collaborate bilaterally and multilaterally within the framework of justice and human rights to build robust and efficient judicial systems globally.

In conclusion, Mohseni Ejei presented six strategic and operational measures to strengthen judicial cooperation among SCO member states:

1 - Establishing a joint legal network to combat transnational crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and economic crimes.

2 - Holding specialized legal and judicial meetings to enhance coordination and alignment on concepts and cases.

3 - Conducting training programs on human rights and promoting social justice.

4 - Enhancing transparency in anti-corruption efforts to boost public trust in judicial systems.

5 - Facilitating investment and strengthening economic security.

6 - Supporting global food security and health initiatives.