Imam Ali’s Popular Student Relief Society
Imam Ali’s Popular Student Relief Society (IAPSRS) is a volunteer-based NGO established in 1999. With over 12,000 young members, mostly university students or graduates, the main focus of the organisation is promoting social and economic justice by identifying the root causes of poverty and the people affected by it. IAPSRS is currently supporting over 7,000 children and women in the marginalized and under-represented regions in over 40 IAPSRS centres across Iran. IAPSRS also campaigns against the death penalty for child offenders and been able to halt 50 cases of execution of minors on death row. The IAPSRS earned special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in 2010 and general consultative status in 2018.
Hope for political reform in Iran surfaced when President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in 2013 and dozens of opposition political figures and human rights defenders were released. However, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and movement of HRDs continue to be prevalent.
Human rights defenders and journalists are arrested, detained and prosecuted in unfair trials. HRDs continue to receive death threats and are subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention. They are refused bail or receive extreme bail conditions. HRDs are additionally subjected to systematic surveillance and their family members are targeted. Journalists have been subjected to flogging for criticising the government.
