Electronic Affidavits (E-Testimony) in the Iranian Legal System

One of the excellent digital tools designed by the Iranian Judiciary for the public—which I rarely see discussed—is the tool for creating Electronic Affidavits (E-Testimonies).

(Note for foreign readers: In Iran's legal system, written witness testimonies or affidavits are frequently required to initiate certain types of lawsuits. Traditionally, these were handwritten on paper and physically signed by multiple witnesses, which often caused logistical issues).

This tool is particularly useful when accessing witnesses is difficult. For example, a witness might be traveling and unable to physically sign, or you might be short on time and need to quickly file a petition while gathering signatures from multiple people. In addition, traditional paper affidavits come in various unstructured formats, which can be confusing. Furthermore, some people have poor handwriting, making it a huge hassle for judges and lawyers to read!

How does the Electronic Affidavit work?

First, you select the type of affidavit. The most common types in Iran are for proving "A'esar" (Insolvency/Indigency). ("A'esar" is a legal claim where a person proves they are financially unable to pay the upfront court filing fees or the final judgment debt, allowing them to be exempted from fees or to pay in installments. This always requires witness testimonies). However, the system also has a "general affidavit" option.

Next, you enter the details of the applicant (the client) requesting the testimony.

Then, you enter the text of the applicant's request from the witnesses.

The crucial part is that witnesses can either write their testimony directly into the system, or the applicant can prepare a draft based on their conversation with the witnesses to speed things up.

Finally, for the signing process, witnesses can either click a "sign" button directly in the system themselves, or the applicant can trigger a process that sends a One-Time Password (OTP) via SMS to the witness. This SMS is sent exclusively to the phone number registered in "Sana" (The mandatory national electronic judicial authentication system in Iran, where every citizen's identity and phone number are verified). The witness then reads the code to the applicant, and as soon as it is entered into the system, the testimony is officially electronically signed.

Ultimately, the final affidavit is issued in the official format of the Judiciary, complete with the "Sana" electronic signatures of all witnesses. There is no longer any need to pass papers around and waste time. Everything is fast and digital!

If you'd like to try it yourself, you can create a sample affidavit from the link below to see how it works. I have also attached screenshots of the system showing the step-by-step process, along with a preview of the final output.

Written by Reza Bastani Namaghi