Abstract Describes the legal rights of the mentally ill in Iran with reference to commitment and admission to psychiatric facilities, psychopathic and sociopathic behavior, criminal acts, drug addiction, suicide, and juvenile delinquency. The social stigma attached to mental illness in Iran is seen as interacting with legal definitions to delay recognition of mental illness, possibly explaining the low number of admissions to mental institutions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)