IOR/L/PS/10/1149

The volume contains correspondence relating to the future position of foreign nationals in Persia [Iran], both Muslims and non-Muslims [also spelled in the volume as Moslems], in relation to Persian religious law, after the abolition of capitulations in Persia.

The main issues covered in the volume are:

• The British Government’s alterations to the Persian Government’s proposals respecting judicial safeguards
• The security and legal privileges of Persian subjects in Iraq
• The institution of an international air route in south Persia
• The customs tariff in Persia
• The exclusion of Muslim foreigners from exemption from Persian religious courts in matters of personal status
• The attitude of the Soviet Government towards persons possessing both Persian and Russian nationality
• The attitude of the Persian Government towards Persians of dual nationality
• The proposals of the Foreign Office on the arrangements for dealing with personal status cases on abolition of the capitulations
• The position of consular officers on abolition of capitulations
• The proposals of the British Chargé d’Affaires on the arrangements for the defence of British subjects charged with criminal offences in Persia
• The incorporation of safeguards in Persian laws and regulations
• The new Treaty of Residence in process of negotiation between France and Persia
• The Anglo-Persian Commercial Treaty and Navigation negotiations, in particular article 11, Personal Status, of the Treaty
• The ownership of property in Persia by British subjects
• Negotiation for a General Treaty between Great Britain and Persia
• Draft provisional Perso-Iraqi Agreement
• Extracts from the Perso-German Establishment Convention and Perso-Belgian Establishment Convention
• Draft copies of a Treaty of Friendship and a Commercial Convention between Persia and Germany
• The Persian Minister of Court’s repudiation of arrangements already entered into on the subject of personal status
• The Persian version of safeguards applicable in the case of Soviet nationals
• The Foreign Office’s draft instructions to Sir Robert Clive, British Minister in Tehran, as regards the most-favoured-nation clause and personal status
• The question of the retention of the most-favoured-nation clause for twenty years from the expiry of the Anglo-Persian Tariff Autonomy Treaty
• The treatment of goods of British origin on importation into Persia after the expiry of the present treaties
• The question of visits by consuls to persons under detention in Persia
• The liability of British nationals for trial before a Persian military tribunal
• Translation of articles in the Persian Law concerning military tribunals
• A list of treaties between Persia and foreign powers including France, Germany, Egypt, Turkey [now officially the Republic of Turkiye] and Sweden.

The main correspondents in the volume are as follows: the British Legation in Tehran; the Foreign Office; the Commercial Relations and Treaties Department, Board of Trade; the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India; the Secretary of State for India; the Viceroy, Foreign and Political Department; the Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office; the British Consulate, Shiraz; the India Office; and the Persian Government.

The volume includes a divider, which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the title page of the volume.