Bribery and personal bribery between national and Iranian law

Although one of the requirements of the implementation of the Merida Convention is the criminalization of "bribery in the private sector", the Iranian legislature has not yet considered this issue and there is no clear approach in the judicial process in this regard. From the point of view of international instruments and comparative law today, there is no doubt that bribery in the private sphere, as well as doing it in the public sphere, can be a manifestation of financial and administrative corruption that should be specifically criminalized and punished. However, in Iranian law, the question is what is the nature of paying and receiving bribes in the private sector. And, what is the reaction to it? Findings of the research indicate this: in Iranian criminal law, according to Article 588 of the Criminal Code of 1996, a specific type of private bribery (a receipt of money or property by judges, auditors and experts) has been criminalized. The judicial practice seeks to extend this prohibition to all private sectors responsible for public services in accordance with the principles of the crime and other related provisions. In particular, it seems that the provisions and basis of the "Unanimous Vote of Procedure No. 798 of the General Assembly of the Supreme Court", which has just been issued, have made this possible even more. Because, in this vote, by considering the criterion of "public services" and considering the employees of private banks as "public service agents", the said employees are considered to be subject to Article 598 of the mentioned law. According to this rule and the stipulation of "public service officers" in Article 3 of the Law on Intensification of Punishment for Perpetrators of Embezzlement, Bribery and Fraud, there is no distinction between the mentioned crimes and a single procedure should be established for them. However, jurisprudence cannot compensate for the shortcomings of the legislation in this area.