In the Iranian legal system, cases are pursued either in civil courts or criminal courts, depending on the nature of the matter. If a case is civil in nature, it must be filed in the General Civil Court. However, if the case involves criminal allegations, it must first be submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Dadsetani) and then referred to the Criminal Court with proper jurisdiction.

Determining whether a case is civil or criminal is a technical legal issue that often requires expert analysis—especially in disputes involving property, financial loss, or ownership. Misjudging the legal nature of a case can lead to serious consequences. For example, if you wrongly assume that a civil dispute involves a criminal act and file a criminal complaint, the case may be dismissed after months (or even over a year) of investigation through a non-prosecution decision. At that point, you will have to start over in the civil court, wasting valuable time, energy, and legal costs. Worse still, you may feel your rights have been violated, while the opposing party may appear to take satisfaction in your legal misstep.

Properly identifying the legal nature of the case, selecting the right jurisdiction, and preparing an effective case strategy—whether for prosecution or defense—requires the involvement of an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer. Given the wide range of legal fields, it’s unrealistic to expect every attorney to deliver results in every type of case. Although Iranian law grants all licensed lawyers the right to represent clients in both civil and criminal cases, in practice, experienced lawyers often specialize in specific legal areas to better serve their clients.

Mr. Mohammad Khademi, licensed attorney-at-law and member of the International Bar Association (IBA), holds a PhD in Law and has over 20 years of legal experience. His areas of practice include domestic and international commercial cases, corporate disputes, banking law, real estate and registration cases, and legal advisory services for companies and financial institutions. Working through his law office in Iran and his legal institute AdvoLinK in the Netherlands, Mr. Khademi and his team of experienced lawyers offer full support in both domestic and international cases.

Don’t miss the opportunity to schedule a legal consultation with Mr. Khademi through this website.