Human Rights Watch: Iran’s Most Prominent Human Rights Lawyers Are Now in Prison
Human Rights Watch has warned in a statement that the Islamic Republic has intensified its crackdown on activists and human rights defenders. The statement was released as four activists and human rights lawyers in Iran have been added to other imprisoned activists and lawyers in just one week.
On Friday, September 9, Payam Derafshan and Farrokh Forouzan, two lawyers, were arrested at the home of Arash Keykhosravi’s family, an imprisoned lawyer.
Just one day later, on the morning of Saturday, September 10, Hadi Omid, a lawyer and women’s rights activist, was arrested at her home.
The arrests were not limited to lawyers alone, and Reza Khandan, the husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer and defender who is currently imprisoned, was also arrested.
Payam Derafshan represents Arash Keykhosravi, who was arrested on August 27 along with Qasem Shelesaadi and Masoud Javadiyeh, two other lawyers, in front of Parliament.
Farrokh Forouzan is a lawyer who works in the field of children’s rights, and Ms. Omidi is a lawyer and women’s rights activist who had supported the “Change the Male Face of Parliament” campaign in 2015.
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer, is one of the most prominent and well-known figures defending human rights, children’s rights, and women’s rights in Iran.
Narges Mohammadi and Abdolfattah Soltani are other prominent lawyers who are serving time in prison.
Sarah Lee Whitson, director of the West Asia division at Human Rights Watch, said on September 14 to the organization’s website: “Iranian authorities, by imprisoning dozens of lawyers and activists for the ‘crime’ of defending citizens’ fundamental rights, are further undermining their own domestic and international credibility.”
Ms. Whitson added: “The government [of Iran], at a time when daily life is becoming increasingly difficult for millions of Iranians, instead of targeting human rights defenders as the primary focus of repression, should accept them as a vital part of solving collective problems.”
This senior Human Rights Watch official said: “The most prominent human rights defenders, who reflect the message of discontent of millions of Iranians, are now in prison.” Human Rights Watch has warned that Iranian authorities, “by silencing voices of peaceful protest, are merely contributing to instability.”
Iran has not yet responded to this statement. Of course, in other cases, the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic rarely responds to similar statements. The secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic previously said during a press conference: “There are no political prisoners in Iran.”
The “House of Freedom” organization said in its last year’s report: “The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic treats political activists and human rights defenders badly, with most of them facing unfair trials.” The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also repeatedly criticized “violations of human rights” in Iran. This institution also says it has received multiple reports about the arrest of human rights defenders, which constitute “violations of freedom of speech.”
Source: Radio Farda
