The head of the Arbitration Councils of Bushehr announced the closure of over 18,000 cases and a 41 percent settlement rate in this council. Majid Arami, Deputy Judicial Chief of the Bushehr Province Judiciary, stated that this council was established based on Article 187 of the Third Development Plan and continues its activities with the main goal of peace and reconciliation, as well as reducing the burden on the judiciary.
Legal Changes and Focus on Peace and Reconciliation
Arami referred to legal changes in the years 2015 and 2023 and said: "The new law passed in 2023 has focused the Arbitration Council solely on peace and reconciliation and no longer has the authority to issue rulings or judgments." Accordingly, the Arbitration Council can now only seek reconciliation and, in case of disagreement, prepare a corrective report.
The Role of Peace Facilitators in Settling Cases
The head of the Arbitration Councils also stated that peace facilitators, as distinguished and trusted individuals, work alongside the branches of the Arbitration Council and peace courts. Arami said: "In the first 7 months of this year, 800 peace facilitators successfully referred 1,265 cases, of which 372 cases ended in reconciliation. This figure represents 25 percent of all cases."
He added that this year, with the implementation of the new law and changes in the referral system, the number of cases referred to the Arbitration Councils has significantly increased. In the first 7 months of this year, 18,776 cases were referred to the councils, showing a 135 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Of this number, 8,092 cases ended in reconciliation.
Performance Statistics and Release of Prisoners
Arami also referred to the activities of the Patience and Release of Prisoners Headquarters and said: "Since 2022, with the help of the Arbitration Council and benefactors, nearly 996 prisoners have been released." He added that in the first 7 months of this year, 90 prisoners were released, and 63 cases of qisas (retribution) were resolved through reconciliation interventions.
The head of the Arbitration Councils concluded by noting that in the first 7 months of this year, 5 financial cases over 300 million tomans, one case over 20 billion tomans, and 7 cases of dowry over 150 coins were settled through reconciliation interventions. Currently, 55 branches of the Arbitration Council, including 3 specialized branches, are active in the province.
