Judiciary »The mission of the head of the judiciary to the National Inspection Agency regarding the Clean Air Law

According to the General Directorate of Public Relations of the Judiciary, Hojjatoleslam and Muslims Mohseni Ejei, last night during a meeting with the directors of the Environmental Protection Organization, referring to the importance of environmental protection and the emphasis on religious teachings on this important said: Environment is a category that Human life and the health of their body and soul depend on it, and anything that threatens this environment is a threat to the health of humans and other creatures.

Explaining the importance and value of the religious teachings for the protection of the environment, the head of the judiciary said: “Those who destroy and pollute the land and the environment have been severely punished, and based on religious and legal orders, If this destruction reaches a certain level, the title “corruption on earth” will apply to it.

Explaining Article 50 of the Constitution, which oversees the public duty to protect the environment and the prohibition of those economic activities other than those associated with environmental pollution or irreparable damage, the Chief Justice stated: In addition to Article 50 of the Law Basically, in some other principles of the constitution and the relevant laws, the important and vital issue of environmental protection has been addressed in some way, and this is a proof of the importance of this category and the legislator’s attention to it.

He stated: The officials of the Environmental Protection Organization, by enumerating and prioritizing the issues and issues in this field and based on their definition of the category of environment, can carry out the necessary studies on the necessity of revising, amending and creating laws in the field of environment.

Referring to the history, structure and members of the High Council for Environmental Protection, the head of the judiciary raised the key question of what is the time and order of the meetings of this important council and how many meetings the council holds each year. What issues are being considered in this council?

Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Mohseni Ejei also advised the directors of the Environmental Protection Agency to follow up with regular meetings of the High Council for Environmental Protection and to add more legal members and powers to the council if necessary, with more diligence and seriousness.

Referring to the major and important issues that need to be decided in the High Council for Environmental Protection, he considered some issues in this area, including the issue of dust, among international and regional issues and clarified: it is necessary for the High Council for Protection The environment should meet at least once or twice a year and establish coordination and synergy between the various bodies in the field of environmental protection.

Recalling the history of more than 60 years of legislation in the field of environment in the country, the head of the judiciary pointed to new and changing issues in this field and said: issues and issues related to the environment are not limited to laws passed in this field; Also, the category of environmental protection does not belong to one device or organization; Therefore, the High Council for Environmental Protection, by holding regular meetings, must decide on issues such as changing and new issues in the field of environment and how to coordinate and synergize the devices in this field.

“What percentage of the clean air law that was approved in July 2017 has been implemented?” This was another important question that the judge asked the directors of the Environmental Protection Agency at this meeting and addressed them: after about 5 years of the adoption of the “Clean Air Law”, it should be examined how much of the provisions of this law have been implemented; If many parts of the law remain unimplemented and implemented, there is a need for a pathology in this regard by the Environmental Protection Agency, and in order to fully implement this law, I will issue instructions to the National Inspection Agency.

The head of the judiciary, following the meeting, referring to the words of the commander of the country’s environmental protection unit that the process of processing a case in this area has been prolonged, informed the officials of the Environmental Protection Organization to provide examples of such cases. Provide accompanying delays for review and follow-up.

“Has the status and powers of the Environmental Protection Agency been upgraded by amendments to environmental laws?” This was another important question that the head of the judiciary asked the managers of the organization.

In this regard, referring to the amendment to the law in the field of environment in 1371, according to which the authority of the Environmental Protection Organization to stop the activities of polluting companies was revoked, he said: The environment and its reforms are helping, I must say that over time, the position of the Environmental Protection Agency has not improved; However, considering that the issues in the field of environment have changed compared to the past and the type and means of pollutants have changed, so in accordance with these changes, the position of the Environmental Protection Organization should be upgraded and the laws in this field should be updated.

Hojjat-ul-Islam and Muslims Mohseni Ejei, in the continuation of the meeting with the directors of the Environmental Protection Organization, asked them the question that during the last two decades, the destruction of the environment has been done more by the executive and government-affiliated bodies or ordinary people and the private sector? A number of the organization’s executives provided explanations to the head of the judiciary in this regard, and considered the share of government agencies in the field of environmental degradation to be much higher than ordinary people.

“Of the 150 martyrs and veterans defending the environment, 37 were killed by gunfire, and 20 percent of that number were martyred by licensed weapons.” This was the answer given by the commander of the country’s environmental protection unit in response to the judge’s question: “How many martyrs and martyrs of the country’s environmental defense have been killed by hunters with hunting licenses and licensed weapons carriers?”

* Before the speech of the Chief Justice, Ali Selajgeh, Vice President and Head of the Environmental Protection Organization, while offering condolences on the occasion of the martyrdom of two environmentalists in Fars province last week, called on the judiciary and law enforcement to investigate Arrested thanked.

While appreciating the judiciary and prosecutors across the country who have always stood by the Environmental Protection Agency, Selajgeh criticized the guarantee that some court rulings in environmental cases are not properly enforced.

He said that the Environmental Protection Organization expects that the report of the officers of this organization will be reviewed as the report of judicial officers, adding that environmentalists are special officers whose main missions are armed and it is necessary for the judiciary to handle environmentalists The executive officers of the Environmental Protection Agency act according to the existing requirements and conditions.

The head of the Environmental Protection Organization, referring to the high number of environmental cases in the country, called for the establishment of specialized and special branches to handle these cases.

Selajgeh went on to say that the payment of court fees by the Environmental Protection Organization required legislation in the Islamic Consultative Assembly and called for the assistance of the judiciary in this regard.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency also announced the organization’s readiness to provide environmental training to judges across the country.

Selajgeh further described the major environmental damage as irreversible damage and demanded that the judiciary, as it has been with the Environmental Protection Organization, continue to pursue issues related to this organization and pay special attention to it. To solve environmental problems.

He stated that the issue of the environment should become the number one issue of the country, adding that it is necessary for all agencies and sectors of the country to perform their environmental duties and responsibilities.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency also pointed out the problems of water shortage in the country: the conditions should not be such that development without purpose and prior planning, leads to a reduction of the country’s water resources.

Hojjat-ul-Islam and Muslims Montazeri, the Attorney General, in a speech referring to the issue of being an officer of those officers of the Environmental Protection Organization who have an officer card, said: Prosecutors are obliged by law with those officers of the Environmental Protection Organization And have an officer card, to behave like other general and special officers.

Emphasizing that everything that is provided in the law for officers is also valid and valid for the officers of the Environmental Protection Organization who have an officer card, he said to the officials of the Environmental Protection Organization: If you have any cases If the reports of the officers of the Environmental Protection Agency are not processed properly in the prosecutor’s offices and within the framework of laws and regulations, report them to the Attorney General’s Office and be sure that the cases reported by you will be followed up by the judiciary. .

Asghar Jahangir, the Judiciary’s Deputy Minister for Social Affairs and Crime Prevention, also stressed the need to prioritize the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency, given the limited resources available to the organization.

Jahangir, while criticizing the lack of necessary statistics provided by the Environmental Protection Organization to the authorities who need to have these statistics, said: “It is necessary to do serious and basic work in the field of environment, to have real and accurate statistics provided by the Environmental Protection Organization.” Biology in areas such as the number of major rivers, the separation of natural resource areas from other areas, and so on.

Colonel Mohabbatkhani, Commander of the Environmental Protection Unit, referring to the activities of 3,800 rangers and the establishment of 600 rangers in the country, said: Considering the martyrdom of two rangers in Fars province last week, the number of martyrs and martyrs in the country since the victory The Islamic Revolution has reached 150 people to date.

Referring to the deaths of 283 environmentalists as a result of being shot, he announced the seizure of 5,300 hunting and combat weapons by environmentalists last year.

Colonel Mohabbat Khani also stressed the need to amend and localize the law on the use of weapons by environmentalists, and while appreciating the cooperation of judicial authorities in the process of handling environmental cases, called for speeding up the process of processing some cases of environmentalists.

The commander of the country’s environmental protection unit, referring to the dangers caused by the distribution of hunting weapons in the country, pointed to the issue of not being invited to the meetings of the weapons and ammunition distribution council and said: I received arms and ammunition, but I have not been invited to attend the council once during these three years.

Reza Anjomeh Shoaa, Deputy Minister of Management Development, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of the Environmental Protection Organization, also attended the meeting with the cooperation and support of the Chief Justice of Fars Province and the Chief Justice of Bavanat city in investigating the case of three environmentalists being beaten while on duty. The martyrdom of two of them was appreciated.

He further described the Environmental Protection Agency as a cross-sectoral body and the following issues as multidisciplinary issues, and called for more cooperation and interaction between the Judiciary Research Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as providing environmental training before and while serving judges throughout Became a country.

Hassan Akbari, Deputy Minister of Natural Environment and Biodiversity of the Environmental Protection Organization, while appreciating the attention and close cooperation of judicial officials in different parts of the country on environmental issues, said: Although the Environmental Protection Organization is part of the executive branch. It is possible, but we testify fairly and without exaggeration that the judiciary, especially the heads of the judiciary and prosecutors, have worked closely with this organization, and in many cases, such as what happened last week in Fars province, which led to the martyrdom of two environmentalists. , It was the judicial authorities who bargained to increase the facilities of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Iraj Heshmati, Director General of Environment of Isfahan Province, while appreciating the attention of the head of the judiciary to the issue of environment and including this category in the 15 instructions of the judiciary this year, asked the judiciary to support the Environmental Protection Organization more than ever. Be with lawbreakers and lawbreakers.

He also called for increased powers for prosecutors and environmental departments across the country to deal with environmental crimes.

Mehdi Elhpour, Director General of Environment of Khorasan Razavi Province, also called for the exemption of the Environmental Protection Organization from paying court costs, as well as prompt and out-of-turn processing of environmental cases by judicial authorities.

Davood Mirshakar, Director General of Environment of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, while appreciating the performance of the judiciary in issuing an order to stop the implementation of the Miankaleh petrochemical project, criticized some of the negligence of the officials of the free zones towards environmental issues.

In another part of his speech, he said: “Despite the fact that according to special laws, the officers of the Environmental Protection Organization who have passed special training courses under the supervision of the prosecutor are considered” judicial officers “, but we see that judicial authorities do not pay attention to this issue. Special Justice and Environmental Officers are referred to law enforcement as general officers.

It is worth mentioning that “Mohammad Ahmadi Golqarmezi”, a veteran environmentalist, and “Mohammad Amin Beyrami”, an environmentalist who is the son of one of the environmentalist martyrs, also made their speeches and demands in this meeting.