The Hands that Guard the Ayatollah

The Iranian constitution is instrumental in giving an ideological and political base for the theocratic state, notwithstanding recurrent internal unrest, economic hardships and wars fought over the last four-and-a-half decades

- Adil Rasheed

ALTHOUGH a temporary truce between Israel and Iran seems to be holding for now, the Iranian regime's proclivity for violence continues unabated. Even before the tentative ceasefire could take effect, the Islamic Republic turned its guns on its people by executing six men on charges of spying—based on confessions allegedly obtained by torture.

There are fears that more executions on similar charges are in the offing, with Iran’s Fars News Agency reporting that over 700 people have been detained on charges of being “Israeli mercenaries”.

Perhaps the Iranian government is apprehensive of a major public revolt, similar to the 2022 mass protests over the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was arrested for not wearing the hijab. The travesty sparked a wave of protests across the country, leading to the death of over 500 people and the detention of over 20,000 protestors.

Many of the problems facing Iranian society today spring from the severe draconian measures adopted by the theocratic regime, particularly against supporters of secular and liberal democracy, minority rights and gender equality.

Institutionalised Theocracy

Unlike most countries in West Asia that do not have a comprehensive or written constitution—like Saudi Arabia and Israel—Iran drafted and ratified a theocratic constitution for itself after a referendum in 1979, which combines a unique set of Islamic and pseudo-democratic provisions.

Called ‘Qanun-e Asasi-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran’ in Persian (Fundamental Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran), the constitution provides a foundation for the institutional framework and procedural functioning of the regime.