Islamic Revolutionary Court

The Islamic Revolutionary Court, also called the Revolutionary Tribunal, is a system of special courts in the Islamic Republic of Iran that handles cases the state defines as crimes against the revolution or threats to national security. Its jurisdiction, as amended in 1983, covers offenses against the internal and external security of the country, slander against the Founder of the Islamic Republic and the Leader, conspiracy and terrorism against the Islamic Republic, espionage for foreigners, smuggling and narcotics crimes, and cases under Article 49 of the Constitution. The courts were created shortly after the overthrow of the monarchy and the arrival of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, and in the years after the 1979 revolution became the main venue for prosecuting people the new government labelled political or ideological enemies. Trials are not public, there is no jury, and a single judge decides each matter. Human-rights organizations and scholars describe proceedings as closed and with limited safeguards. Disputes over jurisdiction between the Revolutionary Courts and the ordinary penal courts are resolved by the Iranian Supreme Court.