Iranian Judiciary and UNODC held a national meeting on Mutual Legal Assistance and Judicial cooperation in city of Tabriz of East Azerbaijan Province
UNODC Iran and Iranian Judiciary jointly organised a national meeting on 'International Judicial Cooperation on Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition' in city of Tabriz, center of East Azerbaijan Province on 3-4 May 2017. The event was made possible thanks to the generous funding of Government of Japan to the UNODC Iran Country Partnership Programme.
UNODC Vienna Division for Treaty Affairs closely cooperated with UNODC Iran and facilitated participation of two crime prevention and criminal justice senior legal experts to the event. A senior public prosecutor from Switzerland, and Head of Iranian Interpol Criminal Investigation Division were among the facilitators of Tabriz meeting. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Legal Department assisted UNODC Iran in launching the Tabriz meeting.
The event provided an excellent opportunity for seventy five judges and public prosecutors of East Azerbaijan Province to become familiarise and upgrade their knowledge about the principles of international Judicial Cooperation on Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition, with specific emphasis on the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.
During the course of the two days meeting a number of sessions were held followed by lively discussion and exchange of national and international experiences. The covered topics included (i) the extend of legislative potentials of the Islamic Republic of Iran with regards to international judicial cooperation; (ii) United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime landmark achievements: opportunities for international community cooperation against transnational organized crime; (iii) familiarization with the global role of Interpol and Iranian Interpol positioning and tasks; (iv) international cooperation in gathering electronic evidence and basic tips for investigators and prosecutors. Methodology and examples of requesting electronic and digital data; and evidence from third jurisdictions; (v) Iranian national perspective on mutual legal assistance; (vi) mutual legal assistance: how to devise solutions and overcome obstacles; (vi) familiarization with the 'UNODC Mutual Legal Assistance Request Writer Tool'; (vii) confidentiality and disclosure of information in formal proceedings; (viii) roles and mandates of 'Judicial Central Authority' in different member states; and (iv) modalities of international judicial cooperation by the Iranian judiciary.
UNODC's professional cooperation with the Iranian Judiciary and Government of Islamic Republic of Iran was positively highlighted by Hojat-ol-Islam Mr. Hekmat Ali Mozafari, Prosecutor General of East Azerbaijan Province at the closure of the event. Moreover, judges and prosecutors attending the meeting unanimously asked for UNODC's intervention and cooperation in holding additional technical training for judges and prosecutors in the country.