TEHRAN, June 27 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with Judiciary officials and families of the 7th of Tir (June 28, 1981) martyrs here on Sunday, said the administration of justice and the enhancement of civil rights are the major tasks of the Judiciary.
He added that the Judiciary should see to it that justice is done and that judges are not influenced by material concerns, power, prejudice, or false allegations.
The Leader also mentioned the fact that Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi is beginning his second five-year term and praised the performance of the judicial branch of government over the past five years.
The past achievements of the Judiciary have paved the way for the proper administration of justice, but all these efforts are stepping stones to meet expectations in line with the norms of an Islamic society and the Constitution, the Leader said.
"The Judiciary should act in such a way so as to persuade anyone in any part of the country who is oppressed to look to the courts with high hopes for justice," Ayatollah Khamenei added.
He called Shahrudi an intellectual and a scholar and added that given the Judiciary's potential, its future is bright.
The Leader referred to the Islamic system as the representative of the people and noted that unlike despotic governments or those pretending to be supporters of democracy, in the Islamic system everything is in the hands of the people and the people are guaranteed their rights.
"The Judiciary is a powerful body which should decisively restore people's rights whenever justice is not done," he added.
The Leader emphasized the need to adopt a just approach toward convicts and to improve conditions for prisoners and in prisons.
Prisons should not be a breeding ground for corruption; and the spirit of prisoners should not be broken, nor should the situation of their families be made worse, he added.
He also stressed the role the educational, supervisory, managerial, and other departments of the Judiciary play in preparing the ground for the administration of justice.
The Leader described the 7th of Tir terrorist act as evidence of the oppression of the Iranian nation and a proof of the power and strength of the Islamic system.
The Iranian nation is still being oppressed, given that the terrorists (Mujahedin Khalq Organization) responsible for the 7th of Tir catastrophe are still proud about their terrorist action and are being backed by those claiming to be waging a campaign against terrorism, he added.
At the beginning of the meeting, Shahrudi paid tribute to the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, including the late Ayatollah Beheshti and the others martyred on the 7th of Tir.
The Judiciary chief also noted that his first five-year term ended during the Year of Public Accountability and briefed the audience on the performance of the Judiciary.
He mentioned the model drawn up for judicial development, the final approval of the Judiciary's major policies, the revision of the judicial structure, the application of modern technology to investigate cases, and the improvement of conditions for prisoners and in prisons as some of the Judiciary's achievements in recent years.
MNA