Renewed Pressure in Iran to Block Instagram After Activist’s Post About Torture Makes Headlines
A labor activist’s widely read Instagram post alleging he was tortured while in the custody of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry was never ...
Free Expression
Three Members of Iran’s Writers Association Charged With National Security Crimes for Opposing Censorship
Three senior members of the Iranian Writers Association (IWA) have been charged with national security crimes for peacefully protesting state censorship policies, according to a ...
Human Rights Lawyer Mohammad Najafi Facing 19 Years Behind Bars in Iran
Najafi Jailed for Demanding Justice for Detainee Who Died in State Custody Imprisoned human rights attorney Mohammad Najafi was sentenced to two more years in prison in Iran on January 22, 2019—bringing the total number of years he has been condemned to serve to 19. The sentences have been issued over ...
Journalist to Serve Five Years in Prison for Uncovering Corruption in Tehran Municipality
Yashar Soltani’s Investigate Expose Implicated City Officials and MPs Journalist Yashar Soltani has been sentenced to five years in prison for exposing extensive corruption within the Tehran municipality, his ...
Iran Sentences Men Who Supported Women’s Protests Against Compulsory Hijab to Six Years Prison
Reza Khandan and Farhad Meysami Denied Right to a Public Trial Update: On August 11, 2019, the Appeals Court confirmed Farhad Meysami’s six-year prison sentence and reduced the two-year ban on his online activities to ...
Iran: Release Labor Activists Re-Arrested For Revealing They’d Been Tortured
Esmail Bakhshi and Sepideh Qoliyan Both At Risk of Serious Harm January 22, 2019—The arrests of labor activist Esmail Bakhshi and freelance reporter Sepideh Qoliyan...
Defense Lawyer Mostafa Tork Hamedani Sentenced to Six Months Imprisonment in Iran
Human rights attorney Mostafa Tork Hamedani has been sentenced to six months imprisonment in Iran for allegedly slandering a former prosecutor, his lawyer Peyman Haj Mahmoud Attar announced on January 15, ...
Four Independent News Journalists Arrested in Iran in Less Than a Month
Former political prisoner Ali (Amir) Amirgholi has become the fourth journalist working for the Gam independent online news outlet to be arrested in Iran in recent weeks. ...
Satirist Keyomars Marzban to Be Tried in Iran Under Hardline Judge Salavati
Iranian satirist Keyomars Marzban, who has been detained in Iran since August 2018, is due to face trial for the charges of “propaganda against the state” and ...
Sham Investigation of Labor Activist’s Alleged Torture Lacks Impartiality, Ignores Witnesses
Iran Must Re-Open an Independent and Impartial Investigation into Labor Activist’s Abuse Multiple Cases of Alleged Torture Must Be Thoroughly Investigated January 17, 2018—After a brief and deeply flawed investigation lacking ...
Sufi Woman Jailed in Iran Sentenced to 148 Lashes For Criticizing Gharchak Prison Conditions
Elham Ahmadi, an imprisoned member of the Sufi Gonabadi Order in Iran, has been sentenced to 148 lashes for speaking out about the denial of medical treatment and ...
Musician Ali Ghamsari Banned From Performing in Iran After Refusing to Remove Female Singer
"Our Sing-Along Didn’t Violate Any Rules" After the Iranian authorities banned musician Ali Ghamsari from performing “until further notice” for refusing to remove a female singer from his most recent concert ...
Former Presidential Candidate Karroubi Did Not Receive Saudi Money, Son Says
False Claims Meant to Divert Attention from “Shame” of Eight Years of House Arrest Without Trial A son of the 2009 presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi...
Nasrin Sotoudeh and Baha’i Political Prisoner Refuse Phone Calls in Solidarity With Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Authorities Revoke Phone Privileges, Reduce Food Rations in Evin Prison’s Women’s Ward Two political prisoners held in the same ward as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in Iran’s Evin Prison have given up ...
Famed Iranian Playwright Mohammad Rahmanian Charged for Allegedly Featuring Female Soloist
Complaint Brought by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Prominent Iranian theater director and playwright Mohammad Rahmanian has been charged with “propaganda against the state” based on a complaint by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ...
Labor Activist’s Revelation of Torture During Detention Prompts Wave of Reports of Abuse in Iran’s Prisons
Esmail Bakhshi’s lawyer says her client is under intense pressure to retract statements about his torture Labor activist Esmail Bakhshi’s public letter in which he revealed his ...
Iranian Journalist Sentenced to Six Years in Prison Without Lawyer
Revolutionary Court Blocked Hamed Aynehvand From Using Lawyer of His Choice Political journalist Hamed Aynehvand has been sentenced to six years in prison without the presence of his ...
Labor Activist Smaeil Bakhshi Tortured by Agents of Rouhani’s Intelligence Ministry
Held Without Access to Lawyer, Bakhshi Beaten During 25-Day Detention January 4, 2018—The beating and torture of the labor activist Smaeil Bakhshi (also spelled Esmail Bakhshi), ...
Baha’i Woman Sentenced to 11.9 Years in Prison, Banned From University in Iran
Yekta Fahandej Sa’di was sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison for her Baha’i religious beliefs by a preliminary court in the city of ...
Stricken With Chicken Pox, Political Prisoner Alireza Tavakoli Hunger Strikes for Medical Treatment
Prisoner of conscience Alireza Tavakoli, currently imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin Prison for his social media postings, is hunger striking to be “transferred ...
Political Activist Hengameh Shahidi Held for Six Months in Solitary Without Access to Lawyer
Imprisoned political activist Hengameh Shahidi has been held in solitary confinement for six months with extremely limited access to a lawyer since June 26, 2018, the day she ...
Food With “Rodent Feces” Served to Political Prisoners in Iran’s Great Tehran Penitentiary
The food served at the Great Tehran Penitentiary (GTP) is unsanitary and has been found to contain rodent feces, making some prisoners sick, the wife of a political ...
Imprisoned Attorney Mohammad Najafi Facing More Jail Time for Criticizing Supreme Leader
Mohammad Najafi has been in Arak Central Prison since October 2018 serving a three-year sentence (currently being appealed) for informing media outlets that a local police station ...
Law Student Begins Six-Month Prison Term for Social Media Posts Critical of State Policy
“They told me, ‘If you want to live in peace, stop writing, stop your activities.’” Amir Chamani Taken to Tabriz Prison, Lawyer Not Notified In a continuing assault on freedom of speech—particularly the peaceful ...
Iranian MP Calls Arrests of Protesting Ahvaz Workers “Violation of the Constitution”
At Least 31 Steel Workers Remain Detained Eleven workers detained during protests by employees of the Iran National Steel Industrial Group (INSIG) in southwestern Iran between December 17-18, 2018, were released on bail December 19, but at least 31 others remain behind ...