Human Rights Defenders
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 on his pledges. ...
Cartoon 167: Raisi’s Candidacy
The presidential candidacy of Ebrahim Raisi as depicted by Iranian cartoonist Touka Neyastani....
Imprisoned Children’s Rights Activist Atena Daemi Serving Seven Year Sentence Denied Medical Care
The chief physician of Evin Prison has refused to hospitalize imprisoned children’s rights activist Atena Daemi—currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for her peaceful activism—to receive ...
Prominent Kurdish Activist Facing More Prison Time After Serving 10 Years in Evin Prison
Prominent Kurdish rights activist Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand was freed from Evin Prison in Tehran on May 12, 2017 after serving 10 years for his peaceful activism. ...
Iran Election Update – May 15, 2017
Items of Note Khatami Endorses Rouhani Influential reformist leader Mohammad Khatami has thrown his weight behind incumbent President Hassan Rouhani for Iran's May 19 presidential election. “We started on a path with Mr. Rouhani and we are at the halfway point,” he said in a ...
29 Members of EU Parliament Urge Iran to Release Detained Journalists and Activists Ahead of 2017 Elections
Ahead of Iran’s elections on May 19 for president and local councils, 29 members of the European Parliament have written a letter to Federica Mogherini, the representative of the European Union for foreign ...
CHRI’s updates on Iran’s 2017 elections | May 3, 2017
Get caught up on Iran’s 2017 presidential and local council elections with a special weekly update by CHRI. ...
IRGC Commander Publicly Criticizes Rouhani’s Refusal to Block Telegram Call Service Before Election
One month before Iranians head to the polls, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has revealed that President Hassan Rouhani opposed pressure ...
Eight Baha’is Arrested Without a Warrant by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry and Denied Legal Counsel
Seven Baha’i citizens were arrested by the Intelligence Ministry in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, southern Iran, on April 18, 2017, an informed source told the Center for Human ...
University Student Groups Decry Security Climate on Campus, Rising Costs and Gender Segregation
Seventy-two student organizations from universities throughout Iran have issued a joint statement asking President Hassan Rouhani to end the security ...
Hunger-Striking Political Activist Detained Without Charge Writes Will in Evin Prison
After 24 days on hunger strike in Evin Prison in Tehran, reformist political activist Hengameh Shahidi, detained without charge and denied legal counsel since March 9, 2017, has written a will, her mother ...
MPs Demand Answers from Rouhani on Increasing Arrests Ahead of Elections
President Hassan Rouhani has yet to respond to a letter from four reformist members of Parliament demanding an explanation for the ...
Prominent Lawyers: Judiciary Ad Announcing Prison Time for 10 Iranians in Absentia Unlawful
A classified newspaper advertisement by the judiciary announcing prison sentences for 10 Iranian citizens currently outside the country has no legal merit, two prominent lawyers told the Center for Human Rights ...
Amendment Could Save Thousands of Drug Traffickers on Death Row in Iran
If passed by Parliament and the Council of Guardians, an amendment to Iran’s death penalty law could save thousands of drug traffickers currently facing execution. ...
Cartoon 163: Rouhani Protecting Citizen’s Rights
President Hassan Rouhani stands between Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a political prisoner, ostensibly to protect the prisoner from Khamenei's bat, a metaphor for the Revolutionary Guards, while himself threatening the prisoner with a bat, representing his Intelligence Ministry....
Memo to Tech and Social Media Companies: Allow Iranians Access to Online Tools
Firms such as Apple, Twitter, Google, GoDaddy, Facebook, AMD, Norton, Comodo, Oracle and Adobe are denying Iranians the right to purchase or download tools and services that are legal, available to the rest of the world, and essential for allowing Iranians full and safe access to the global internet. ...
Daughter of Imprisoned Rights Lawyer Accuses Intelligence Minister of Blocking His Release
The daughter of an imprisoned prominent human rights lawyer has accused Iran’s hardline Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi of blocking the release of her ailing father, ...
Sisters of Imprisoned Activist Atena Daemi Cleared of Revenge Charges Filed by Revolutionary Guards
A court has rejected charges brought by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Courts (IRGC) against Onsieh Daemi and Hanieh Daemi, the sisters of imprisoned civil rights activist Atena Daemi...
Trump’s travel ban is a gift to Iran’s rulers
Marian Vayghan reacts after her uncle is released from a detention center for deportation back to Iran as people protest President Trump’s travel ban from Muslim-majority ...
Poll: 70% of Iranians Dissatisfied With Rouhani on Democracy and Civil Rights
A survey of public opinion in Iran conducted in the last quarter of 2016 shows that even though a large majority of Iranians (75%) rated advancing democracy and protecting personal and ...
Court Rejects Some New Charges by Revolutionary Guards Against Activist Sentenced to 7 Years In Prison
Atena Daemi and Family Still Face Legal Persecution Three of the five new charges brought against imprisoned civil rights advocate Atena Daemi by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) were dismissed after two policemen ...
Saeed Shirzad Ends Hunger Strike After Officials Pledge to End Rights Abuses at Rajaee Shahr Prison
An informed source close to imprisoned civil rights activist Saeed Shirzad said Shirzad ended his hunger strike after 39 days when “Judiciary and Rajaee Shahr Prison officials ...
Ailing Political Prisoner Issa Saharkhiz on Hunger Strike Against Additional Six-Month Sentence
Imprisoned political commentator Issa Saharkhiz began a wet hunger strike on January 14, 2017 to protest a newly issued six-month prison sentence for allegedly “slandering the supreme leader.” Saharkhiz is ...
Nobel Laureate’s Call for Resignation of Iran’s Judiciary Chief Puts Spotlight on Rampant Judicial Abuses
January 6, 2017—The call for the resignation of Iran’s top judicial official, Sadegh Larijani, by the prominent Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, has brought ...