Iran calls for expediting prisoner transfer between SCO members

Speaking at the 10th meeting of justice ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing on Tuesday, Amin Hossein Rahimi said the Islamic Republic welcomes the idea of regular and sustainable communications between the justice ministers of the SCO member states.

“Expediting the transfer of prisoners between member states is a priority for the judicial family of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and creating an effective and organized mechanism for the return of prisoners to their homeland and monitoring it in this important regional organization is worthy of consideration,” he said.

Hossein Rahimi further said Iran attaches importance to reaching agreements with SCO member states on judicial assistance in civil, trade and criminal matters to facilitate civil and trade relations.

“Undoubtedly, creating a data storage center at the level of this regional organization is an ideal that can be realized with the continuous efforts of all members,” he noted.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian justice minister described the meeting as a unique opportunity to discuss the prerequisites of a comprehensive agreement to counter organized crime.

He also called for legal measures to facilitate the use of national currencies and the elimination of the dollar in trade transactions between member states.

“Also, the legal dimensions of dealing with the phenomenon of terrorism and collective measures to confront and eradicate it should be taken into consideration by the justice ministries of the organization’s members,” he added.

Hossein departed Tehran for Beijing on Monday to participate in the 10th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Ministers of Justice.

SCO was formed in 2001 by China and Russia to counter Western alliances. It also includes India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The eight-member states approved Iran’s request for full and official membership during the 21st SCO summit in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, in September 2021.

Prior to that, Iran had been an observer member of the SCO since 2005, along with Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia.

4354**7129