Washington Post OpEd: Free Omid Kokabee, another Iranian prisoner of conscience
By Herbert L. Berk October 30 Herbert L. Berk is chairman of the American Physical Society’s Committee on International ...
Unfair Trials
Clerical Battles over Legally Sanctioned Retaliatory Killings and Stoning Continues in Iran
Controversy over Strict Adherence to Islamic Law Dates Back to 1979 Revolution A battle over the necessity of strict adherence to Islamic law, including Quranic punishments that in modern times have been designated by the UN as tantamount ...
Reformist Journalist Freed from Prison after Serving Four Years
Alireza Rajaei The prominent journalist Alireza Rajaee has been released from prison upon completion of a four-year sentence for his journalistic work and peaceful political activism. Rajaee, a ...
Revolutionary Guards Treat Protesting Teachers as Agitators, Lawyer Says
Peyman Haj-Mahmoud Attar, the lawyer for the Teachers Association of Iran The intelligence unit of the Revolutionary Guards considers ...
Iran Should Allow UN Human Rights Expert into Country
International Community Should Pursue Human Rights with Same Commitment as the Nuclear Deal October 29, 2015—The international community should urge Iranian authorities to allow the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, into the country, said the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and ...
Prominent Iranian Reformist Politician Sentenced to Six Years in Prison
Esmaeil Gerami Moghaddam Esmail Gerami Moghaddam, a former Member of Parliament and spokesman for a reformist party has been sentenced to six years in prison. Moghaddam’s lawyer, Nemat ...
Congressman Keith Ellison Calls for Immediate Release of Washington Post Reporter Jason Rezaian
The US Congressional Representative from Minnesota, Keith Ellison, called today in a video message for the “unconditional release of Jason Rezaian.” “I call on the Iranian government to recognize that the truth should never be a crime, and Rezaian must be released immediately,” said Congressman Ellison, in an exclusive ...
Arrested Student Activist Under Intense Pressure to Make False Confession, Says Family
Amin Anvari’s mother, Farah Bakhshi Student activist Amin Anvari, 21, who received a suspended prison sentence earlier this year for Facebook postings promoting basic civil ...
Narges Mohammadi Should Be Released Immediately and Given Medical Treatment
Narges Mohammadi October 20, 2015—The health of imprisoned activist Narges Mohammadi has deteriorated, and the prominent human rights defender is now reportedly chained to a hospital bed, denied ...
Kurdish Filmmaker’s Six-Year Prison Sentence and 223 Lashes Illegal, Says Lawyer
Keywan Karimi The harsh judgment against filmmaker Keywan Karimi for “insulting the sacred” and “illegitimate relations” is baseless and illegal, his lawyer Amir Raeesian told the International Campaign ...
Teacher to Begin Prison Sentence for Her Work at Baha’i University
Azita Rafizadeh and her family Azita Rafizadeh, a Baha’i citizen and instructor at the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) online university, must report ...
Imprisoned Spiritual Leader on Hunger Strike Has Become “Like a Skeleton”
The family of Mohammad Ali Taheri, the imprisoned leader of a peaceful spiritual group, is alarmed by his deteriorating health after his two month-long hunger strike. He began the hunger strike on August 13, 2015 ...
Two Poets Sentenced to Flogging and Nine and Eleven Years in Prison
Fatemeh Ekhtesari and Mehdi Moosavi Forced Confessions Used as Primary Evidence in Convictions October 14, 2015—A Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced the poets Fatemeh Ekhtesari and ...
Blogger Still Held Behind Bars despite Completing Sentence as He Awaits Exile
Mohammad Reza Pourshajari, Blogger The imprisoned blogger Mohammad Reza Pourshajari continues to be held behind bars, even though he has completed his term, as officials dither ...
Imprisoned TV Producer Suffering from Untreated Shingles Disorder
Mostafa Azizi, Television Writer and Producer Another Case of Denial of Adequate Medical Care for Political Prisoners Television writer and producer Mostafa Azizi, who ...
Washington Post Reporter Jason Rezaian Convicted on Baseless Charges
October 12, 2015—Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspondent imprisoned in Iran since July 22, 2014, has been convicted by a Tehran court in a prosecution and trial marked by the blatant denial of due process ...
Court to Issue Decision on Faraghdani’s “Illegal” Handshake with Her Lawyer
Atena Faraghdani The imprisoned artist and civil activist Atena Faraghdani will soon learn the verdict in the case judicial officials brought against her after she shook her ...
Authorities Deny Hospitalization for Ill Activist and Postpone Her Trial Again
Narges Mohammadi No Explanation Given for Third Postponement of Narges Mohammadi’s Trial Date The trial of imprisoned human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been postponed for a third time, ...
Case against Rezaian Will Be Built on Little More than Forced “Confession”
Iranian Judiciary Has Long History of Relying on False “Confessions” Extracted Under Duress October 6, 2015—Two months after the end of the trial of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, imprisoned in Iran since July 2014, it ...
Supreme Court Refuses to Grant Imprisoned Activist a Retrial
Saeed Madani The political activist and university professor Saeed Madani, imprisoned in Iran since January 2012 for his peaceful activism and participation in a nonviolent political opposition group, ...
Sister of Saeed Malekpour Says Family Hopes for a Pardon for Imprisoned Web Developer
Saeed Malekpour Prisoner of Conscience, Serving Life Sentence, is Finally Allowed In-Person Family Visits after a Year Prisoner of conscience Saeed Malekpour, serving a life sentence for blasphemy, has ...
Facebook Activist Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for “Insulting the Prophet”
Soheil Arabi and his family Soheil Arabi, whose death sentence for “insulting the prophet” was recently struck down by the Supreme Court, has been ...
Cartoon 123: Jason Rezaian and Rouhani in New York
In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran would be willing to discuss release of American prisoners, such as Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, if the U.S. is willing to releases Iranians in its ...
Mother of Imprisoned Physicist Writes Letter to Khamenei Pleading for His Freedom
Omid Kokabee. The mother of Omid Kokabee, a physicist imprisoned in Iran since January 2011, has written a letter to the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling for her ...
Imprisoned Teacher Sentenced to Three More Years in Prison after Completing Six
Teachers’ rights activist Rassoul Bodaghi Teachers’ rights activist Rassoul Bodaghi, who was near the end of serving a six-year prison sentence for his peaceful labor ...