Sarvenaz Ahmadi
Sarvenaz Ahmadi is a social worker and children's rights defender. She has worked as a volunteer and as a social worker with different grassroots NGOs working towards the protection of children's and women's rights in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Tehran.
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.
