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 ...
Prisoners of Conscience
April 3, 2017
Supporters Mark One-Year Anniversary of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s Imprisonment in Iran
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s colleagues stand around her empty desk at the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s office in ...
March 30, 2017
Rouhani Orders Investigation Into “Suspicious” Pre-Election Arrests After MPs Ask Him for Explanation
A little over a week after reformist members of Parliament asked Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend to a spate of arrests ahead of the ...
March 29, 2017
Five-Year Prison Sentence Upheld Against Christian Convert for Missionary Activities
The five-year prison sentence against Christian convert Ebrahim Firoozi for his alleged missionary activities has been confirmed by the ...
March 28, 2017
Young Iranian Death Row Inmate May Soon Receive Sentence Review
The request for a judicial review of the death sentence against 21-year-old Sina Dehghan for “insulting the prophet” of Islam is ...
March 24, 2017
Baha’is Imprisoned in Iran for Religious Beliefs Singled Out for Cruel Treatment
A member of Iran’s perseacuted Baha’i faith has expressed serious concerns about two imprisoned ailing family members who are being denied early release ...
March 24, 2017
Young Man Facing Death for Insulting Islam Online Tricked into Signing Confession
Sina Dehghan, sentenced to death for “insulting the prophet” of Islam when he was 19-years-old, was tricked into ...
March 23, 2017
MPs Demand Answers from Rouhani on Increasing Arrests Ahead of Elections
President Hassan Rouhani has yet to respond to a letter from four ...
March 23, 2017
Cartoon 164: Freedom of Speech
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March 23, 2017
Reformist Editor Arrested by Security Agents Amid Pre-Election Crackdown
Amid a widening crackdown on journalists and activists in Iran ahead of the country’s May 2017 presidential election, ...
March 21, 2017
Admins of 12 Reformist Telegram Channels Arrested in Iran Ahead of May 2017 Election
Iranian security forces arrested an unknown number of administrators of 12 reformist-aligned Telegram channels on March 14-16, 2017, deleted the channels’ content and changed their names. A number of ...
March 21, 2017
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 ...
March 17, 2017
Former Opposition Leader Aide Refusing Vital Medication During Hunger Strike to Protest Detainment
Reformist activist and former political prisoner Hengameh Shahidi has started a hunger strike ...
March 17, 2017
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. ...
March 16, 2017
Rouhani’s Intelligence Ministry and Khamenei’s IRGC Widen Crackdown Ahead of Election
A growing rivalry between Iran’s Intelligence Ministry and Revolutionary Guards may be the result of a much deeper power struggle. ...
March 16, 2017
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 ...
March 16, 2017
Predicting Her Arrest, Reformist Activist Wrote Letters Criticizing Rouhani’s Failure to Protect Citizens
Anticipating her arrest ahead of the 2017 election, a reformist politician wrote two open letters to President Hassan Rouhani about his failure to carry out his campaign promises. ...
March 15, 2017
Dual National Speaks of Yearning for Family and Disillusionment with Iran in Letter Prison
Iranian-British citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, imprisoned in Iran since April 2016, has written a letter to her UK-based husband about the pain of being separated from their infant daughter, Gabriella “Gisoo” Ratcliffe, and disillusionment with her ...
March 14, 2017
Teachers Hold Rallies Across Iran for Labor and Education Rights
Teachers held rallies in several Iranian cities in March 2017 demanding livable wages and improved student resources. ...
March 14, 2017
IRGC Violently Arrests Reformist Editor One Month After Release From Evin Prison
Reformist editor Ehsan Mazandarani was violently returned to Evin Prison less than a month after being released. ...
March 13, 2017
Opposition Leader Under Extrajudicial House Arrest for Six Years Denied Emergency Care
An elderly opposition leader kept under extrajudicial house arrest in Tehran since 2011 is being denied access to timely emergency medical care. ...
March 10, 2017
Dual National Robin Shahini Serving 18-Year Prison Sentence in Iran Proclaims Innocence in Letter
An Iranian-American man who was sentenced to 18 years in prison during a visit to his birth country has written a letter proclaiming his innocence. ...
March 10, 2017
Grave and Baseless New Charges Against Imprisoned Iranian-American and Wife
March 10, 2017—Serious and baseless new charges have been brought against Karan Vafadari and Afarin Neyssari, the dual-national Iranian-American and ...
March 8, 2017
Iran: Repression of those seeking truth and justice for 1980s killings needs to stop
In a joint statement 20 human rights organizations urged the Iranian authorities to stop their attempts to silence human rights defenders and others seeking to shed light on past atrocities. ...
March 7, 2017
Judiciary Refusing to Release Ailing Baha’i Leader Imprisoned in Iran for Nine Years
Behrouz Tavakkoli, an elderly former Baha’i community leader who has spent nearly nine years in prison for his faith, is legally eligible for early release, but his ...