Arrests Gather Pace in Iran after Khamenei Gives Green Light for Crackdown
Fear of Post-Nuclear Deal Rapprochement with West Drives Intensified Repression November 9, 2015—Several journalists were arrested in Iran over the past week in ...
Recent
November 8, 2015
Prominent Reformist Journalist Arrested for “Insulting Supreme Leader”
The political journalist Issa Saharkhiz has been arrested on charges of “intending to disrupt national security,” “propaganda against the state,” and “insulting the ...
November 2, 2015
Washington Post OpEd: Free Omid Kokabee, another Iranian prisoner of conscience
By Herbert L. Berk October 30 Herbert L. Berk ...
October 30, 2015
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 ...
October 27, 2015
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 ...
October 27, 2015
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 ...
October 27, 2015
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 ...
October 21, 2015
Telegram Reveals Iranian Government’s Request to Spy on Its Citizens
Telegram, which unlike Twitter and Facebook is not filtered in Iran, has emerged as one of the leading ...
October 19, 2015
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 ...
October 19, 2015
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 ...
October 19, 2015
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 ...
October 15, 2015
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 ...
October 14, 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 ...
October 12, 2015
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, ...
October 12, 2015
Cartoon 124: Women, Men, and Permission to Travel
Cartoonist Touka Neyestani's take on the discriminatory laws that allow Iranian men immense control over their wives' work and travel rights. In a highly publicized recent case, Niloufar Ardalan, the captain of Iranian ...
October 9, 2015
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 ...
October 9, 2015
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 ...
October 6, 2015
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 ...
October 1, 2015
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 ...
October 1, 2015
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 ...
September 28, 2015
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, ...
September 28, 2015
Judiciary Silent on Status of Tech Expert almost Two Months after His Arrest
Arash Zad, Information Technology Expert Nearly two months after the arrest of information technology expert ...
September 24, 2015
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 ...
September 24, 2015
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 ...
September 23, 2015
Rouhani and Undelivered Promises (Video)
When Rouhani campaigned for the presidency in June 2013, he said he had “the key” to solve Iran’s problems. Those problems included hundreds of political prisoners in Iran, some dating back to the disputed 2009 presidential election. More than ...