Ahmadinejad Aide Says He Was Imprisoned for Refusing to Collaborate With Revolutionary Guards
An imprisoned media advisor to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of offering ...
June 9, 2017
MPs Criticize Friday Prayer Leader for Calling Female Rouhani Supporters “Prostitutes”
The Friday prayer leader of the city of Saveh in central Iran is facing backlash from reformist members of Parliament after he called female supporters ...
June 8, 2017
Rouhani Government “Closed Seven Million” Websites in First Term
A cabinet minister appointed by centrist President Hassan Rouhani has admitted that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology filtered “seven million” websites during Rouhani’s first term (2013-17) ...
June 8, 2017
Iran’s Supreme Leader Says 1988 Executions of Thousands of Political Prisoners “Unfairly Judged”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has broken his silence over the state’s execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, which ...
June 8, 2017
Another Student Expelled From University in Iran For Baha’i Faith
Farzad Safaei was one semester away from a bachelor’s degree in industrial metallurgy at the Islamic Azad University when he was expelled on May 20, 2017 by the security office for being a member of the Baha’i faith ...
June 7, 2017
Barbaric Terrorist Attacks in Iran No Excuse for Crackdown on Civil Liberties
The Center for Human Rights in Iran strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Tehran and urges the Iranian authorities to avoid violating the citizenry’s civil and political rights in its investigations ...
June 7, 2017
Political Activist Detained Without Charge Subjected to “Illegal” Interrogations in Evin Prison
Ailing political activist Hengameh Shahidi, who has been on hunger strike in Evin Prison since March 16, 2017 to protest her detention without charge, is being subjected to renewed interrogations by security agents ...
June 7, 2017
Iranian Political Prisoner With Multiple Sclerosis Refused Medical Furlough
Imprisoned music producers Mehdi Rajabian and his brother Hossein Rajabian refused ...
June 6, 2017
Imprisoned Teachers’ Rights Activist Returned to Evin Prison After Three-Day Hospitalization
Prominent teachers’ rights advocate Esmail Abdi, who has been on hunger strike for more than 30 days, was transported from Evin Prison to a hospital in Tehran on June 3, 2017 ...
June 3, 2017
Book Club Members in Iran Sentenced to Prison Time for Allegedly “Promoting Feminism”
Eight political and civil rights activists have received sentences of up to four years in prison for allegedly reading and spreading feminist literature in Iran ...
June 3, 2017
Appeals Court Strikes Down Additional Charges by IRGC Against Imprisoned Rights Activist Atena Daemi
Imprisoned children’s rights activist Atena Daemi ended her hunger strike after she and her sisters were acquitted of additional charges brought by the IRGC that resulted in additional time added onto her seven-year prison sentence ...
June 2, 2017
Musical Concerts Face Uncertain Future in Iran Despite Rouhani’s Vocal Support
Officially sanctioned musical concerts in Iran continue to be canceled following pressure by religious conservatives, while musicians and performers are subjected to threats and other forms of intimidation ...
June 2, 2017
Arresting People for Eating in Their Cars During the Ramadan Fasting Month in Iran is Illegal
Iranian police are not legally allowed to arrest anyone eating or drinking in their car during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan without a warrant, a legal expert told CHRI ...
June 1, 2017
Well-Known Cleric Urges Rouhani to Drop Justice Minister for Role in 1988 Prisoner Massacre
A well-known dissident cleric is urging newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani to drop Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi from his cabinet for his role in human rights violations. ...
June 1, 2017
Top Reformist Campaign Staff Member Arrested in Front of Children Without Warrant
Reza Golestani, a senior staff member at the reformists’ election headquarters in Razavi Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran, was arrested at his home in ...
June 1, 2017
Artists, Activists Send Letter to Rouhani Demanding Release of Imprisoned Music Producers
A group of artists and supporters of the artistic community in Iran have called on newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani to free two imprisoned music producers ...
May 31, 2017
Iran’s Top Sunni Cleric Urges President Rouhani to Appoint Religious Minorities to Cabinet
The leader of Iran’s Sunni population told CHRI that Sunnis should be invited to participate in the second-term government of newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ...
May 30, 2017
Nasrin Sotoudeh: To Improve Women’s Rights, Rouhani Must Curb Power of Security Agencies
Prominent human rights lawyer and former political prisoner Nasrin Sotoudeh has called on Iran’s newly re-elected president to improve gender equality by counteracting the repressive security apparatus ...
May 30, 2017
Judiciary Chief Threatens to Punish Opponents of Extrajudicial House Arrests
In the run-up to Iran’s recent elections, thousands of voters called for an end to the more than six-year ...
May 30, 2017
Cartoon 168: Rouhani and His Promises
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May 25, 2017
Rouhani: Delivering Human Rights After the Election
Hassan Rouhani was re-elected as president of Iran in May 2017 largely on the basis of his support for human rights and Iranians’ perceptions that he would do more to improve civil and political rights in the country than his rivals. He should now deliver ...
May 25, 2017
Newly Elected Reformist Council Member Arrested For Calling Prophet Mohammad “Secular”
A newly elected reformist member of the city council in Hamadan, northwestern Iran, was arrested for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammad ...
May 25, 2017
More Than 15,000 Petition Iran’s Judiciary to Free Prominent Teachers’ Rights Activist
An online petition signed by more than 15,000 people calling for the release of imprisoned teachers’ rights leader Esmail Abdi has been delivered to the judiciary and the office of the president ...
May 24, 2017
Newly Reelected Rouhani Abandons Promise to End Six-Year House Arrest of Opposition Leaders
In the first press conference of his second presidential term, Rouhani refused to commit to ending the extrajudicial house arrests of three opposition leaders—a pledge he made four years ago ...
May 24, 2017
Activists Acquitted of National Security Charges for Peaceful Defense of Labor Rights
Trade union activists Jafar Azimzadeh and Shapour Ehsani-Rad have been acquitted of the charge of ‘acting against national security’ for peacefully advocating for labor rights ...