Title: Euthanasia from Iran law and Islamic legislation perspective

Authors: Farshad Ramezani; Mahin Sobhani

Addresses: Department of Law, Bandar Anzali Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Anzali, Iran ' Department of Law, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, The University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract: The issue of good death or euthanasia and acceleration in death of incurable or dying patients to relieve the pain and suffering through fatal actions has always been a debatable matter in medical field. This has always been an important issue in different fields including legal, political, social, philosophical and medical. Euthanasia is a permitted and even moral action from the view of its supporters since they believe in a person's right to decide to die. According to religious and Islamic rules, such a right does not belong to human since they are not the owner of their souls and bodies; and that's in the power of God. Based on different verses of Quran, people are not allowed to commit suicide or kill others. Euthanasia is a taboo and an unlawful action. Abusing this word to achieve some humanistic goals is not acceptable; therefore, pain and suffering should not be used as an excuse or a legal and ethical permission to commit euthanasia. This study is aimed at studying permissibility or impermissibility of euthanasia based on Iran law and Islamic rules.

Keywords: euthanasia; murder; unbearable suffering; Iran; legal systems; law; human rights; Islamic legislation; right to die; permissibility; Quran; religious belief.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRCS.2016.078314

International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies, 2016 Vol.4 No.2, pp.153 - 165

Received: 05 May 2016
Accepted: 08 May 2016
Published online: 14 Aug 2016 *

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