Jaleh Rouhzad

Jaleh Rouhzad is a woman human rights defender and former teacher who has been a long-standing advocate for the rights of educators in Iran, both before and after her retirement from teaching in 2016. As an active member of the Teachers’ Union Movement, she has campaigned for the rights of (retired) teachers, including fair labour conditions, freedom of association, and collective bargaining rights. She has taken part in peaceful gatherings and civic initiatives calling for a systemic reform of the education sector.

Over the years, she has repeatedly been summoned and threatened by Iranian security authorities and arbitrarily arrested during peaceful gatherings of teachers and pensioners. These violations were committed in response to her legitimate trade union and civil rights activities. They form part of a pattern of harassment aimed at punishing her activism and deterring her from continuing her human rights work.