Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Active Cases

Iran: Transfer of trade union leader, Mansour Osanloo, to Rajaei Prison in the city of Karaj

Front Line is concerned by reports of the transfer of human rights defender Mansour Osanloo to Rajaei Prison in the city of Karaj. Mansour Osanloo is an advocate of workers' rights and President of the Executive Board of Sherkat-e Vahed (the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburban Bus Vahed Company), Mansour Osanloo was arrested on 10 July 2007 by security services while he was leaving his place of work. Following his arrest, he was sentenced to five-year imprisonment after being convicted of “anti-regime propaganda” and “activities against national security”.  

• human rights defender
• imprisonment
• Iran
• Mansour Osanloo
• trade union leader

• Iran

Iran: Sentencing of human rights defender and journalist Yusef Azizi Bani Turfi

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of the sentencing of Yusef Azizi Bani Turfi to five years in prison. Yusef Azizi Bani Turfi is a journalist and writer who has written in defence of the rights of ethnic minorities, particularly the Ahwazi Arab ethnic group to which he belongs. He is also a founder member of the Iranian PEN association, which works to promote and protect the right to freedom of expression.  

• ethnic minorities
• Front Line
• human rights
• human rights defender
• Iran
• prison sentence

• Iran

Iran: Execution of human rights defender Yaghoub Mehrnehad

Front Line is gravely concerned following reports that human rights defender Yaghoub Mehrnehad has been executed. Yaghoub Mehrnehad was a journalist and human rights defender who worked in defence and promotion of the rights of Baluch peoples in Iran. Yaghoub Mehrnahad was also the founder of Anjoman Sedayeh edalat (Voice of Justice Association), a non-governmental organisation which organised cultural activities for Baluch people.  

• execution
• Front Line
• human rights
• human rights defender
• Iran
• Yaghoub Mehrnehad

• Iran

Iran: Arbitrary Detention and Ill-Treatment of human rights defenders Hemid Valai, Sejjad Radmehr and Vedud Esedi

Front Line is concerned following reports that human rights defenders Hemid Valai, Sejjad Radmehr and Vedud Esedi have been arbitrarily detained and subjected to ill-treatment and torture. Hemid Valai is a human rights lawyer. Hemid Valai, Sejjad Radmehr and Vedud Esedi are all activists working to promote the rights of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran.  

• arbitrary detention
• Front Line
• Hemid Valai
• human rights
• Human Rights Defenders
• ill-treatment
• Iran
• Sejjad Radmehr
• Vedud Esedi

• Iran

Iran: Continued detention of Saleh Kamrani and Said Metinpour for representing Azerbaijani community

Lawyer Saleh Kamrani and journalist Sa’id Metinpour are currently being detained in Section 209 of Evin Prison, Tehran. Saleh Kamrani is a lawyer who has represented members of Iran’s discriminated Azerbaijani minority. Both he and Sa’id Metinpour are active in promoting the rights of the Azerbaijani minority in Iran.  

• Azerbaijani community
• detention
• Front Line
• human rights
• Human Rights Defenders
• Iran
• Saleh Kamrani & Sa’id Metinpour

• Iran

Human rights defenders in Iran are subjected to death threats, acts of harassment, arbitrary arrest, judicial harassment, stigmatization, violent attacks, ill-treatment, torture and killings. Women human rights defenders are particularly at risk in Iran. Freedoms of expression, association and assembly are severely restricted in Iran as they are usually associated with breaches of the security of the state or are reported to conflict with the teachings of Islam. E-security is a problem for human rights defenders in Iran as the authorities regularly close down human rights related websites.

According to the report on the situation of human rights defenders of the UN SRSG, “defenders in Iran reportedly come from many backgrounds and include journalists, critical Islamic scholars, writers, “cultural personalities”, cultural institutions and lawyers”. Particular issues of concern for defenders in Iran include the rights of women, rights of children, rights of prisoners, rights of minorities, environmental issues, freedom of expression, e-security, advocacy of human rights and campaigning against legislative restrictions which impede human rights. Women campaigning for equal rights are targeted by the authorities and subjected to arbitrary detention, judicial harassment and acts of torture. Defenders of LGBTI rights are also a very vulnerable group as homosexuality is a crime punishable by death in Iran. Most defenders who are imprisoned in relation to their legitimate human rights activities are held at Evin prison which is notorious for acts of ill-treatment and torture. Human rights organizations in Iran face many difficulties due to the registration procedure as it is particularly restrictive for independent non-governmental organisations and they have very limited funding.