The following is a guest post by Dr. Sanaz Alasti, an Iranian legal scholar who spent time with us this summer as a Scholar in Residence. Dr. Alasti is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Lamar University. She is the author of several books, including one that provides a comparative perspective on punishments under international conventions and the laws of the United States and Iran.
Iran was ruled by monastic dynasties for over 2,500 years. Shi’ism became the official state religion under Safavid rule (1501-1722). The increasing influence of foreign powers in the region under the Qajars (1795-1925) began with a series of capitulations to Europeans, beginning with the Russians, in the 19th century. In 1906 the first Iranian Constitution was written. A series of laws were subsequently enacted, relating to criminal, civil, commercial, and family law.