A Review Study on the Concept of “Quasi-Weapon” in Iranian Law and Court Rulings

Subject Areas : فقه و مبانی حقوق

HOSSEIN ANDALIB ¹ , Nasrin Karimi ²

1 - Department of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University,Qom, Iran.
2 - Department of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University,Qom, Iran.

Received: 2023-03-20 Accepted : 2023-09-23 Published : 2023-09-27

Keywords: Pseudo-weapons, keeping weapons, buying and selling weapons, smuggling weapons, firearms.,

Abstract :

The term “quasi-weapon” has been introduced into Iran’s criminal legislative system under the Note to Article 2 of the Law on Combating the Smuggling of Weapons, Ammunition, and Unauthorized Holders of Weapons and Ammunition. Since the enactment of this law, the definition and scope of the concept of quasi-weapon have been subject to ongoing debates and discussions within legal forums.The aim of this study is to identify and clarify the concept of quasi-weapon through a detailed examination of the statutory text as well as judicial opinions and practices. The research method is descriptive-analytical.One of the findings of this study is that, from the perspective of the Iranian criminal legislator, quasi-weapons refer to devices which, due to their external similarity and functional capacity, may be misused or substituted for firearms in the commission of crimes. Examples include various types of gas-powered pellet pistols, blank-firing guns, and sonic weapons with different frequencies. The Iranian legislator’s strict—and indeed necessary—approach has led to the criminalization of quasi-weapons solely on the basis of “similarity,” “function,” and “substitutability.” According to certain court rulings, even weapons used exclusively for sound production have been recognized as instances of quasi-weapons under the Note to Article 2 of the above-mentioned law. Furthermore, the mere potential for misuse or criminal application has been considered sufficient for punishment, since under the statute the material element of this offense is simply possession, without any requirement of actual use

References:

الهام، غلامحسین؛ میرخلیلی، محمود؛ پرهام فر، امیرمحمد(1393)؛ چالش¬های تعریف جرم قاچاق در نظام حقوقی ایران؛ فصلنامه دیدگاه‌های حقوق قضایی؛ ۱۳۹۳؛ ۱۹ (۶۸) :۴۷-۷۸.
صانعی، پرویز(1356)، حقوق جزای عمومی، تهران، دانشگاه شهید بهشتی.
علی آبادی، عبدالحسین(1343)، حقوق جنایی، تهران، دانشگاه تهران.
قانون مجازات اسلامی1392
قانون مجازات قاچاق اسلحه و مهمات و دارندگان سلاح و مهمات غیرمجاز مصوب1390
آیین‌نامۀ اجرایی قانون مجازات قاچاق اسلحه و مهمات و دارندگان سلاح و مهمات غیرمجاز مصوب ۱۳۹۲/۱۰/۸ هیات وزیران