Statements in a meeting with officials and staff of the Judiciary on the anniversary of Martyr Beheshti and Judiciary Week

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and his pure family, especially the Awaited One on earth.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, active members of a very important institution, which is the Judiciary! We congratulate you on Judiciary Week and honor the memory of Martyr Beheshti. Truly, this great martyr was a blessing; both for the Revolution and especially for the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic; a man of thought, strong will, disciplined, hardworking, and energetic. He was a great blessing; we honor his memory. May God elevate his ranks, God willing. We also thank the other esteemed heads of the Judiciary during different periods; each has, in their own way, contributed, worked, and made efforts for this very important institution.

Well, much has been said about the importance of the Judiciary; we have also presented some points; others have spoken about the importance of this institution; it is a known matter. The core of this importance is justice, which is mentioned in the Holy Quran: "And when you judge between people, judge with justice." Justice is the foundation of a good human life. When you pray for the hastening of the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him), you say that he should come to establish justice; that is it. "God will fill the earth with justice and fairness after it has been filled with oppression and tyranny"; although that great one will also inject religion, piety, and ethics into society, you do not say: "God will fill the earth with religion"; rather, you say: "with justice"; this indicates that justice is the primary need of a good human life. You are the judiciary, you are the justice system, and your main mission is to establish justice. The importance of the Judiciary stems from this.

Of course, now in the Constitution, there are other points that I will mention.

The Judiciary in the Islamic Republic was a new establishment - like a sapling - and it had fundamental differences from the Judiciary before the Revolution. Well, this sapling must grow day by day. Each period must show progress compared to the previous one; now a new period has begun, and it must bring a virtue, a distinction, a contribution in addition to what others, the predecessors, have done for the Judiciary; what is this contribution? Transformation, transformation in the Judiciary; what does transformation mean? Transformation means that you have specific principles based on Islam, the Quran, and the Islamic Republic that you must adhere to; you must be committed to these and operate within their framework, as these are the fundamental missions of the Judiciary; these do not change; they are the same as they were from the beginning, they are still the same, and they will be after this; transformation means that you must innovate, create, and utilize effective, new, and impactful methods to fulfill these principles, to carry out these missions, and to achieve these ideals; this is one; you must also address the flaws, gaps, and deficiencies that have existed in the past; this is the meaning of transformation.

We have an institution with operational methods, with executive programs, and alongside it, with some faults, deficiencies, and shortcomings; the transformation you want to create must optimize those methods, turning them into more effective, efficient, and smoother methods, and those obstacles, those issues, those shortcomings must be addressed; this is transformation; this work, of course, requires a plan; transformation without a plan is impossible; you cannot move day by day; the rational and thoughtful apparatus must sit down and envision a comprehensive design for this major change in their mind and put it on paper and make decisions. This work has, thanks be to God, been done; this part of the work has been accomplished by the esteemed new head of the Judiciary, Mr. Raisi, before he took on this responsibility; he was asked, and he prepared a comprehensive and acceptable transformation plan; so this work has been done, this part of the work has been accomplished; this is very good, but a plan consists of mentalities; if we want to achieve external realization, it requires work. Therefore, my first recommendation to the esteemed head and the esteemed officials and members of the Judiciary is to carry out this good plan that you have drafted, prepared, and presented according to the timeline, without negligence; do not let it become stagnant. Do not fear anything, move forward, trust in God Almighty, take action, and operationalize this plan. Make it so that after a reasonable period - of course, these short-term and few-month plans are not operational works in that sense - it is completely felt that the Judiciary has undergone transformation, it is transforming; this will be achieved through your actions. Of course, that short-term plan is also important; preparing the plan.

At one time, I understood that preparing a plan is fifty percent of the work, but this fifty percent must be joined with that next fifty percent; otherwise, it is as if it has not been done, as if you are trying to bring water from the bottom of a well that is, for example, a hundred meters deep; you have brought it up to fifty meters, and then it remains there; it is as if you have not brought it up at all; it makes no difference. If you want to achieve that product, you must activate that next fifty percent, which includes movement, activity, action, and the other conditions that exist, so that, God willing, the product can be obtained, and I am hopeful. I look at the Judiciary of the country and the Judiciary of the country with hope, God willing, you will be able to accomplish this work. I should also tell you, start this work from the very beginning; it should not be that we say: "Now that we have time, we have a while, we have time; now, God willing, we will do it"; then in the middle of the work or at the end of the work, we keep saying: "We must do this work, we must do that work"; this is of no use. You must start from this very first day; do not allow any delay for yourselves; this is one issue.

I have noted a few points regarding the Judiciary; of course, the points that Mr. Raisi mentioned were very good; our words are the same as what he expressed. I will present a few points.

One point is that you should refer to the Constitution and see the duties of the Judiciary in the "law". The duty of the Judiciary is not just to judge and preside over courts; the duty of the Judiciary goes beyond this. In the Constitution, the restoration of public rights is among the duties of the Judiciary; the restoration of public rights has a very wide scope; from economic issues to security issues to international arenas, the place of public rights is. Defending the rights of the people in the international arena is very important; this is among your duties; or suppose the expansion of justice and freedom, which, of course, this expansion of justice is alongside the expansion of freedom; [by freedom, I mean] the legitimate freedoms in the Constitution; it is clear. The expansion of freedom is also among your duties. How will you carry this out? With what methods? I said that the methods you must choose should be new and innovative; all of these are under consideration.

Or the prevention of crime; the issue of prevention is very important. Well, yes, we designate a part of the Judiciary for prevention, which is good, necessary, but prevention is a very broad task; you must recognize the crime, understand the causes of crime, identify the factors that create crime, and recognize the actions that can prevent the occurrence of crime; there is a vast chapter of work here. Each of these tasks requires a responsible person; you cannot just say, for example, we have set up a committee, suppose we have established a body for this work; no, these must be pursued one by one.

Or the proper implementation of the law; who violates the law? The law is not just the traffic regulations or suppose a law that a careless person violates; sometimes the law is violated on a large scale; here, the Judiciary must stand firm. The point is, the more one looks at the Judiciary, the more one observes the greatness of this institution and the vast scope of this institution; this is in your hands, this belongs to you; you have placed your shoulder under this heavy burden. If, God willing, you can accomplish something and succeed, it is a great work, you will please God greatly; that is, if you perform your duties well, it is among the unparalleled acts of charity and benevolence.

Another point - which Mr. Raisi also referred to - is the issue of combating corruption. Combating corruption is a matter of discussion both within the institution and outside it; however, the priority is within the institution. Well, thousands of honorable and pure-hearted judges and trustworthy employees are working and striving throughout the Judiciary; if a corrupt element appears in a Judiciary in a city, it tarnishes the reputation of these pure and honorable souls; is this a small matter? Is this a trivial thing? Perhaps the number of corrupt individuals in the Judiciary is a very small percentage compared to those who are either at the peak of integrity - we have judges who live difficult lives, handling heavy and important cases, yet do not deviate even a little; if they were prone to error, they could have much better lives, but they do not deviate at all - or ordinary judges who perform their duties with honesty and integrity; the ratio of corrupt individuals to these individuals is very small, but even a small percentage, a small ratio has destructive effects; I will elaborate on this later when I discuss the image of the Judiciary. Be strict regarding corruption within the Judiciary. The reason is that this [institution] is responsible for eliminating corruption; if it becomes corrupt itself, its sin is unforgivable. The higher the rank and status of a person, the more important their work becomes; both in the positive aspect and in the negative aspect. You see that God Almighty addresses the wives of the Prophet in the Quran, saying: "O wives of the Prophet, if any of you commits a manifest indecency, the punishment will be doubled for her" - if any of you does something wrong, your punishment is doubled; that is, the same act that if another woman does, she receives a hundred lashes from God Almighty, if you do it, you receive two hundred lashes; why? Because you are the wives of the Prophet - "And whoever of you is obedient to God and His Messenger" then her reward will also be doubled; if you do good, your reward is doubled. This is due to the importance of the person's position.

I often feel pity for Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him). What had he done [that he said]: "Glory be to You, indeed I was among the wrongdoers"? With the severe punishment that God Almighty imposed on Prophet Yunus. Well, he invited his people, did everything, they did not listen, he became angry with them and left [the city]; that was his action. Now, if a scholar, for example, advises in a city, and the people do not listen to him and he says, then I will not stay in this city and leaves, well, that is a bad act, but [is] his punishment to be thrown into the sea and into the belly of a whale, and God Almighty says if he had not glorified Him, "he would have remained in its belly until the Day of Resurrection"? Was this his punishment? Yet, God Almighty punishes Yunus this way; why? Because he is a prophet; He says you are a prophet; he thought that we would not hold him accountable - "we would not hold him accountable" means to hold someone accountable strictly - he cried out in the darkness, "There is no god but You; Glory be to You, indeed I was among the wrongdoers"; he acknowledged his wrongdoing, and we answered him and saved him from distress. This is how it is; you are different from an ordinary person; if an ordinary person performs a reprehensible act, if you perform that act, your blame is either double that of his or several times that; it makes a difference. Look at the corruption within the Judiciary with this perspective.

Of course, there is also much exposure, accusation, and slander against the Judiciary; we know this too; that is, really much more than what is true, they speak and write against the Judiciary. Now that there is social media; a doorless and gate-less apparatus where anyone can write whatever they want. These do not matter; do not let these distract you from your work. Is there anyone more just in the world, in the history of mankind than Amir al-Mu'minin? This same Amir al-Mu'minin, the embodiment of justice, was accused of injustice; well, they say it anyway; they say against everyone; against the Prophet, the prophets, against Amir al-Mu'minin, against God, they say against you too; let them say; this should not prevent you from doing your work.

Another very important point is the issue of creating an image of the Judiciary. You may be very good and honorable, but an incident or incidents may occur that do not reflect that honor, that integrity, that honesty in the eyes of the people, but rather reflect the opposite; this is very bad. What should be reflected in the eyes of the people is that the Judiciary has these characteristics:

First, it should demonstrate wisdom, both in its appointments, its rulings, its behavior, and its speech; it should show that it possesses wisdom; especially the higher officials of the Judiciary can play a role in this.

It should show that it has knowledge of the foundations of justice; this must be demonstrated, it must be clear that it is a knowledgeable institution, it works based on knowledge, it conducts scientific expertise. Knowledge is either law or jurisprudence; in the judiciary, the foundations of justice consist of jurisprudence and law.

It is an institution that has an attentive ear for listening. You must have the patience to listen, both in the prosecutor's office through the investigator, and in facing the prosecutor, and ultimately in court when facing the judge. There must be a listening ear. Listen! Listen to the one who is complaining and has come to complain, see what he really says, and also listen to the one who is accused and is defending himself, fully listen to what he says; this must be heard; you may not accept his words, but listen.

Another point is authority and decisiveness. You must possess wisdom, knowledge, a listening disposition, and authority. They must understand that the Judiciary has authority; whatever it determines, it acts decisively upon it. The prolonged existence of cases, which I have repeatedly mentioned in this meeting with the Judiciary, is a blow to this state. When a case remains for a year, two years, five years, ten years, it means that the Judiciary is in a state of "what should I do - what should I do"; it does not know what to do; this cannot be. Whatever conclusion they reach, they must decisively act upon that conclusion.

Well, now what should we do to create this image in the minds of the people about the Judiciary? This is in your behavior, in your speech, in your performance, in the correct advertisements you carry out; of course, various institutions, the media, and others must also help. The Judiciary belongs to the Revolution, belongs to the people, belongs to the country; all institutions must assist in this regard; it should not be that a small matter is, for example, reported on television or in a certain publication - like social media where anyone can say whatever they want - they should also say the same way, a small matter, an unclear or undocumented matter should be published that undermines the Judiciary; this should not be the case. This image-making is the responsibility of everyone; it is both your responsibility and the responsibility of others. Well, this is another point.

Another point regarding appointments; see, Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) in this famous letter to Malik al-Ashtar - which is his longest writing and a part of it pertains to the Judiciary and is wrongly called a covenant; it is not a covenant; it is a command - he says first: "Then choose the best of your subjects for judging between people"; for judgment, select the best people; "the best" is very important. Then he mentions the characteristics that this superior person must have; there are ten or twelve characteristics, refer to them; I urge everyone - especially the managers of the Judiciary and those involved in appointments and the like - to refer to this and look at it. The characteristics that he mentions are precisely aligned with the needs that one feels; he has enumerated all of these and stated that [the judge must] possess these characteristics. Therefore, appointments are very important; job selections are very important; both appointments and selections. If you want to select a judge, if you want to select for certain tasks, you must definitely look at these and refer to this; I urge you to refer to this part of Amir al-Mu'minin's letter to Malik al-Ashtar.

One last point is that the duty of the Judiciary is law and rights and determining and setting limits; however, amidst this important and steel-like machinery of the Judiciary, there must also be a means of softening. There are things that soften; both the Judiciary itself and the product of the Judiciary's work; within the Judiciary, it is through ethical conduct. Especially [avoiding] bad behavior with the clients; now it is the same with subordinates, but more so with clients. Be sure to obligate yourselves to treat them with ethics. The investigator in the position of investigation, the prosecutor in the position of arguing with the accused or the lawyer of the accused in court, [when] reasoning, should reason, but this reasoning should be ethical. Some of the actions that the West does and publishes films of, for example, suppose the prosecutor used a certain tone, or showed a certain disrespect, first of all, many of these are lies; secondly, do not take the actions of the West as a standard; look at what Islam says, what Islamic instructions are. Treat with ethics; then sometimes the judge himself argues with the accused, speaks, asks something, answers something, [these] should be with ethics, with gentleness, with patience and tolerance; this is, for example, in internal interactions.

In performances, in areas where there is contention, there should be recommendations for forgiveness, pardon, and similar matters. In Islam, it has also been stated in family matters: "And reconciliation is best"; they should reconcile, bring peace. This issue of reviving arbitration, which pertains to families, or these conflict resolution councils - of course, in the correct manner - these are the same as introducing ethics into the matters of the Judiciary and the machinery of the Judiciary. Well, now that was related to the matters of the Judiciary.

Regarding current political issues, thanks be to God, the Iranian nation has truly shown a dignity, greatness, and authority; not just for these recent events - well, this is also an example - [but] throughout these forty years, it has truly shown. The fact that you see in foreign news agencies from the mouths of politicians and diplomats and the like that these days it is often repeated that Iran cannot be brought to its knees by pressure, sanctions, and threats, this is not due to the events of one month, two months, or six months; [rather] it is due to forty years of the movement of the Iranian nation. The Iranian nation freed itself from the shell of humiliation and disgrace that had been imposed on it through the Revolution; it broke this shell and came out. The Iranian identity, with its Islamic characteristics, has emerged, seeking dignity, seeking independence, seeking progress; therefore, the more the oppressive enemies exert pressure, the less effect it has on it. Look at these marches, look at this Quds Day, look at the twenty-second of Bahman; forty years, is this a joke? Look at these elections; they created so many obstacles for the elections in the country, yet the people with truly admirable determination participate in the elections. Now, at the end of this year, there is another election; despite some of the doubts that some individuals create, I know that the people will participate in this election with enthusiasm and eagerness; these demonstrate the greatness of the Iranian nation. Now, this great nation, this brave nation, this dignified nation is accused; by whom? The most wicked governments in the world, namely the government of America; the most wicked governments and regimes in history, the agents of war, the agents of bloodshed, the agents of division, the agents of plundering and looting nations throughout history, not just in the last ten or twenty years, the most despised faces of such a government accuse the Iranian nation; every day that passes, they hurl an insult, a slander at the Iranian nation. The Iranian nation does not flinch from these insults; the Iranian nation does not retreat from these insults and abuses. The Iranian nation has been wronged - these oppressive sanctions are a clear injustice to the Iranian nation - the Iranian nation has been victimized, but it is not weak; the Iranian nation is powerful. By God's grace, with God's support, all the goals that the Iranian nation has outlined for itself will be achieved with strength and authority.

We are wronged, we are victims, but we are not weak; we are powerful. The main and important part of the strength of the Iranian nation is due to the belief in divine support; God said, "Do not fear; indeed, I am with you, I hear and see"; God Almighty is with us, He is helping; the sign of this is the forty years during which they have plotted against us, exerted pressure, waged war, created sedition, infiltrated, unleashed terrorist elements upon the people, and committed a thousand vile and treacherous acts against this nation; this nation stood like a mountain and became more steadfast day by day; today it is stronger, more powerful, and more steadfast than ten or twenty years ago. Now, when they could not achieve their goals through pressure and the like, thinking that the Iranian nation is a simple nation and can be deceived, they have come to say, "Come negotiate with us; you are capable of progress"! Yes, the Iranian nation will certainly progress, but without you; if you come, there will be no progress. You and England and others were the masters of this country for fifty years - especially America for about thirty years during the second Pahlavi - this country went backward day by day; you cannot be the agents of progress; you are the agents of the backwardness of the Iranian nation. The Iranian nation will progress as long as you do not come near.

They say come negotiate; negotiation is a deception; negotiate over what? Over what he wants; that is, the weapon is in your hand, he does not dare to come forward, he says, "O Sir, give me that weapon, throw that weapon down so I can do whatever I want with you, so I can bring whatever calamity I want upon you"; that is negotiation. If in this negotiation you accept his words, you have lost; if you do not accept his words, it is still the same dish and the same bowl: fighting and noise and propaganda and "these do not yield" and American human rights and such nonsense. They kill nearly three hundred people in the sky and claim human rights; they go to help the Saudis, bombing people in Yemen in markets, mosques, mourning gatherings, celebrations, hospitals, and so on, claiming human rights; this is how they are.

No, the Iranian nation has found its own path; our path has been outlined by the Revolution, outlined by Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified); our goals are clear. Over these decades, these goals have been repeated time and again, and they are valuable and attractive goals; achieving material welfare, achieving social dignity, achieving high rationality, achieving outstanding and distinguished knowledge, and achieving social peace and security; these are our goals that Islam has set for every nation; Islam has outlined these goals for us as well, and we have moved towards them, and to the dismay of the enemy, we will achieve all of them. May God, God willing, grant you and us success so that we can fulfill the duties that are upon us in the best way, God willing.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.