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Iran: “A deeply troubling picture”

As the Human Rights Council discusses Iran this week we have a guest blog post from the Front Line Defenders Iran Working Group on the status of human rights defenders in the country.

The current situation for human rights defenders in Iran continues to be a serious cause for concern. They continue to face serious risks and dangers when engaging in legitimate peaceful activities. In particular, HRD’s have been suffering under an increasing wave of violations since the crackdown which immediately followed the disputed presidential election in 2009.
In the aftermath of the election hundreds of HRDs were arrested and many of them were condemned after unfair trials, simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression, or engaging in peaceful protests.
HRD’s campaign on a broad range of issues including women’s rights, religious and minority rights, protection of freedom of speech and expression and the abolition of the death penalty.

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Iran: Arrest and ongoing detention of human rights defenders and journalists Ms Parastoo Dokouhaki and Ms Marzieh Rasouliposted on: 2012/01/24

Over the past week bloggers and journalists Ms Parastoo Dokouhaki and Ms Marzieh Rasouli were arrested by Iranian security forces in their homes in Tehran and are currently in detention.

Iran: Civil society activist sentenced to 20 years in prison and €550,000 in finesposted on: 2012/01/09

6 January 2012 - The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has learned that former Allameh Tabatabaee faculty member and head of Volunteer Actors Institute Sohrab Razzaghi has been tried in absentia and sentenced to 20 years in prison and €550,000 ($760,705) in fines.

Iran: Update – Further punitive measures taken against human rights defender Ms Nasrin Sotoudehposted on: 2011/10/26

Prominent Iranian human rights defender Ms Nasrin Sotoudeh has been barred by Evin Prison authorities from having family visits for three weeks, effective from 16 October 2011, as punishment for her alleged refusal to wear a Chador.

Iran: Unfair trial and sentencing of human rights defender Ms Narges Muhammadi to 11 years in prisonposted on: 2011/10/10

Human rights defender Ms Narges Muhammadi was sentenced to 11 years in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court on 27 September 2011. She was falsely convicted of a number of offences including the spreading of propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, supporting the families of political prisoners, and conspiring against national security.

Iran: Arrest and incommunicado detention of human rights defenders Abdolfattah Soltani, Fereshteh Shirazi and Faranak Faridposted on: 2011/09/22

Front Line is concerned regarding the arrest and incommunicado detention of human rights defenders Mr Abdolfattah Soltani, Ms Fereshteh Shirazi, and Ms Faranak Farid on the 10, 4, and 3 September 2011 respectively.

Iran: Arrest and incommunicado detention of human rights defender Kouhyar Goudarzi and arrest and detention of his mother posted on: 2011/08/17

Human rights defender Mr Kouhyar Goudarzi was arrested in Tehran on 31 July 2011, and his mother Ms Parvin Mokhtareh was arrested the following day in the city of Kerman. To date, Kouhyar Goudarzi's fate and whereabouts remain unknown, while Parvin Mokhtareh is reportedly being detained at Kerman General Prison. Kouhyar Goudarzi is a journalist and member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR). In 2010, Kouhyar Goudarzi was awarded the John Auchobon award for Press Freedom presented by the Washington National Press Club. Kouhyar Goudarzi's mother received the award on his behalf because he was in prison at the time.

Further Information

On 31 July 2011, Kouhyar Goudarzi was reportedly arrested by agents of Iranian Ministry of Intelligence at his home on Jamalzadeh street, Tehran. To date, no State security bodies has admitted responsibility for his arrest. It is not clear why he was arrested, or whether charges have been brought against him. It is reported that following his arrest, the authorities conducted a search of Kouhyar Goudarzi's home and confiscated some books and other personal belongings.

Iran: Human rights defender Ms Mahnaz Mohammadi arrested and held in incommunicado detentionposted on: 2011/07/06

Human rights defender and filmmaker, Ms Mahnaz Mohammadi was arrested at her home in Tehran, on 26 June 2011, by agents believed to from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Ms Mohammadi, who is currently being held at Evin Prison, Tehran, has been denied access to her family and a lawyer since her arrest. Ms Mohammadi is a prominent human rights defender and filmmaker who uses film as a tool to advocate for greater respect for women's rights in Iran.

Iran: Arrest and detention of human rights defender Ms Mansoureh Behkishposted on: 2011/06/22

Iranian human rights defender Ms Mansoureh Behkish was arrested on 12 June 2011 and is being detained in Evin Prison in Tehran. Mansoureh Behkish is a member of Mothers for Peace, a group of Iranian women that campaigns for peace and stability in the region and the Mourning Mothers a group of women whose children have been killed, disappeared or detained by the Iranian authorities, and their supporters. She is also a signatory of a letter sent to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki -Moon dated 30 October 2009 which highlighted the violations of the rights of political prisoners in Iran and called on the United Nations to reestablish the office of the Special Representative for Iran and to save the lives of prisoners sentenced to death in Iran.

Iranian opposition lawyer Arrestedposted on: 2011/06/20

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a human rights lawyer in Iran who has been given a prison sentence of eleven years and banned from working as a lawyer or leaving the country for twenty years. This sentence has been given to her, not for any criminal activity but as a result of her peaceful human rights work. She was accused of 'spreading propaganda' and 'conspiring to harm state security'. Nasrin has represented many defenders opposed to the current regime in Iran. She has also worked extensively with young prisoners who have been sentenced to death for crimes they committed when they were under 18.

On 4 September, Nasrin Sotoudeh, was summoned to appear in court at Evin prison on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “collusion and gathering with the aim of acting against national security”. She has been detained since. In protest at her detention Nasrin has undertaken several hunger strikes. Nasrin has recently come off her latest hunger strike which lasted 45 days.

Prior to her arrest, Nasrin had reported harassment on the part of the authorities. On 28 August 2010 her home and office were searched, and her assets were frozen.