Just In : Government bans politicians with dual citizenship from becoming lawmakers
Iran’s new law says Iranian politicians holding dual citizenship will no longer be allowed to run for parliament. In addition, anyone with a permanent residence in another country would be banned from serving as a lawmaker.
Iranian legislators passed a law to this effect on Sunday, according to a report by state news agency IRNA. The measure is aimed at preventing conflicts of interest.
A similar bill to ensure that candidates with only Iranian citizenship were eligible to run for president was passed in 2020. Advertisements The recent execution of the British-Iranian and former top politician Alireza Akbari caused international outrage.
He was convicted of espionage, sparking a debate in the country among Iranian politicians about his loyalties based on his British citizenship. Millions of Iranians currently live abroad. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, many of the country’s inhabitants emigrated to Europe, the U.S. or Canada.
In the following decades, many people moved abroad for work, to study, or because of political persecution.
