Webinar: Legal Challenges Facing Iran’s “Woman Life Freedom” Movement
Rights and Revolt: Three Lawyers Analyze the Legal Terrain of Iran’s “Women Life Freedom” Movement
In anticipation of the anniversary of Iran’s transformative “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) hosted a webinar on September 12, 2023, featuring distinguished human rights lawyers of Iranian descent who shed light on the legal challenges the movement faces one year later.
Our panelists, Elham Youssefian, Gissou Nia, and Saeid Dehghan, delved into critical topics including:
- Iran’s New Forced-Hijab Bill: A discussion on the implications of the Iranian parliament’s proposed hijab bill, designed to intensify penalties for unveiled women. Learn about the potential repercussions on women’s rights and societal dynamics.
- Destroying Due Process: Uncover a state-driven campaign targeting activists and dissidents to deny due process. Discover how independent lawyers are being obstructed and persecuted, hindering their ability to work within the country’s legal framework.
- Codifying Gender Apartheid: Delve into a new campaign seeking to enshrine the crime of gender apartheid into international law. Gain insights into its potential impact on Iran’s societal norms and international relations.
Speakers
Elham Youssefian is a blind human rights lawyer based in New York. Her journey in law began in Iran, where she dedicated herself to representing clients in a diverse range of cases, spanning criminal and family matters. Her advocacy wasn’t confined to the courtroom alone – she also wore the hats of a part-time journalist and an NGO activist who campaigned for the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the government of Iran in 2008.
Elham further enriched her understanding of human rights by pursuing a Master’s in Human Rights Law from the London School of Economics. This path took her to various organizations, including the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Danish Refugee Council, Human Rights Watch, and the Center for Human Rights in Iran. Throughout her career, she has focused on issues ranging from violence against women to refugee rights, along with diligently documenting violations against individuals with disabilities.
Currently, Elham serves as a senior advisor in Humanitarian, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Action with the International Disability Alliance (IDA). Her journey has not only been about professional accomplishments; it has also seen her actively engaging in the women’s rights movement in Iran.
Saeid Dehghan is an Iranian human rights lawyer and author who holds active memberships in both the Iranian Bar Association and the International Bar Association. Throughout his career, he has exemplified his commitment to justice by representing a multitude of Iranian citizens, dual nationals, and non-Iranians in high-profile political cases within the courts of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In response to mounting pressures and threats from authorities, he made the difficult decision to relocate to Toronto, Canada where he continues to champion human rights causes on an international scale as the founder and President of ParsiLaw Consultancy, CA.
Dehghan is also the founder and director of the Oral History Project of Human Rights in Iran, where he interviews prominent thinkers on the ClubHouse app every Friday to an audience of thousands. His books, “From the Heart of Society” and “Us and Ourselves,” cover topics including public law and citizenship. Dehghan has also directed numerous courses for activists as well as civil and professional associations, offering specialized training in human rights, civil rights, criminal procedure, case management, and negotiations.
Gissou Nia is the founder and director of the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council. The Strategic Litigation Project works on prevention and accountability efforts for atrocity crimes, human rights violations, terrorism and corruption offenses around the world.
Nia is a human rights lawyer and non-profit leader. She serves as board chair of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center where she helps oversee the group’s human rights advocacy and legal programs, which seek to promote accountability, respect for human rights and the rule of law in Iran. She previously served as the Executive Director for the group.
Nia started her career in The Hague, where she worked on war crimes and crimes against humanity trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Court. She lectures and publishes widely on global human rights developments, as well as the rule of law in post-conflict and transitional societies.
