The lawyers representing political and ideological prisoners and are part of civil and human rights campaigns, like their clients, face charges such as "propaganda against the regime" and "conspiracy against national security."
Giti Pourfazel, a lawyer, who signed the statement requesting Khamenei's resignation, was arrested a few weeks after publishing the statement and remained in Evin Prison until late November. The Revolutionary Court sentenced her to four years and two months in prison, reduced to 27 months on appeal. She was transferred to Evin Prison on Sunday, September 7, 2020, to serve her sentence.
A day after Mohammad Thalas ( a dervish) execution, his lawyer Zeinab Taheri was incarcerated. She spoke about disclosing documents exonerating Thalas. The reason for Taheri's arrest was declared by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic as illegal ways to defend her client and resort to social media. It was emphasized by Ms. Taheri that reconstruction of the crime scene was carried out without the presence of the defendant, his lawyer, and witnesses at the Shahpour Intelligence Office.
Hoda Amid, a lawyer and women's rights activist (first on the left), was arrested at her home in September 2018. Later She was released on bail. Hoda Amid and Najmeh Vahedi (right) held workshops on female marriage conditions. Hoda, Najmeh, and Rezvaneh Mohammadi (gender equality activist (middle person)) were arrested at the same time.
Nasrin Sotoudeh has received 33 years prison sentence and 148 lashes. She has also been on trial for customary charges such as "collusion against national security, propaganda against the regime" or "opposition to the death penalty." Sotoudeh has turned to the symbol of Iranian civil rights on the light of her courageous and tireless commitment to human rights and the rule of law," said the German Association of Judges, which awarded Sotoudeh the 2020 Human Rights Prize.
Mohammad Najafi, a lawyer, and human rights activist, has been repeatedly summoned and imprisoned on various charges. This lawyer has been sentenced to a total of 19 years in prison in multiple cases, including "insulting the supreme leader," "propaganda against the regime," or "assisting hostile states in interviewing foreign media". In February 2018, at the most recent trial, he was sentenced to six months in prison for speaking at the home of Sattar Beheshti's mother (mother of a laborer killed brutally by the regime).
Amirsalar Davoodi represented many political and ideological defendants, including Zeinab Jalalian (a female Kurdish activist) and Bahai (ethnic minorities) prisoners, and wrote about Bar association issues in the "No Retouch" telegram channel. Having searched Mr. Davoodi's office and home, police arrested him on November 20, 2018. Mr. Davoodi was sentenced to 30 years in prison, 111 lashes, 6 million tomans fine, and two years deprivation of all social rights by branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.
Payam Darfshan, a lawyer representing several ideological and political prisoners, was sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal of Karaj to two years in prison and banned from practising law in February 2019 for insulting the supreme leader. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran also found him guilty in July 2020 for propaganda against the regime and spreading lies. In another case, he was sentenced to one year suspended imprisonment.
In September 2018, Qassem Sholeh Saadi (right) and Arash Kaykhosravi (left) were captured during a rally in front of the parliament on charges of "conspiracy and collusion against national security" and moved to Evin Prison. The reason behind the gathering was the protest against the approbative supervision and the legal regime convention of the Caspian Sea. Catching lawyers in front of the parliament and transferring two of them in handcuffs and unique clothes to Fashafoyeh prison was accompanied by the protest reaction of the Free Tribune of Lawyers.
Mustafa Daneshjoo, a lawyer, a Gonabadi dervishes rights activist, was arrested on July 8, 2018, when armed agents raided his home. The Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Moghiseh, sentenced him to eight years in prison on charges of "conspiracy against national security and propaganda against the regime." He was released on bail due to his poor physical condition and half lung failure, but his license was revoked due to his defense of the Gonabadi dervishes.
Abdolfattah Soltani, one of the founders of the Human Rights Defenders Association and a lawyer representing the case of many students, journalists, and political activists and a protester against the results of the 2009 elections, was sentenced to seven years in prison. In March 2011, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison in exile and 20 years of deprivation of the right to practice law, later reduced to 10 years. Soltani has won many awards for his courage and perseverance in defending the rights of prisoners.
About the Author
Mahtab is an Iranian Social activist determined to bring a change in society. She is a strong voice for women in Iran.
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