Iranian Writers’ Association
The Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA) was founded by a group of intellectual writers in 1968, originally with the objective of promoting freedom of speech and fighting against censorship.
Although IWA was banned in 1981 by the Iranian authorities, a group of writers created a "consulting assembly" to revive the banned IWA in 1993. On 8 September 1996, 12 writers who had gathered to draft a new charter for the IWA were arrested, interrogated and warned not to hold further meetings for the advancement of the IWA. Since then, the members and board members of IWA have been subject to systematic persecution, long prison sentences and even targeted killing from 1988–98, when certain Iranian dissident intellectuals who had been critical of the Islamic Republic were disappeared and their bodies found afterwards.
The Association continues to promote the right to freedom of expression in the country, and advocate against censorship.
Human rights defenders and journalists are arrested, detained and prosecuted in unfair trials. HRDs continue to receive death threats and are subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention. They are refused bail or receive extreme bail conditions. HRDs are additionally subjected to systematic surveillance and their family members are targeted. Journalists have been subjected to flogging for criticising the government.
Judicial harassment is one of the most common tactic used to silence HRDs and independent voices.
