Katayoun Afrazeh
Katayoun Afrazeh is woman human rights defender, compliance officer. and a member of the IAPSRS board of trustees. She directed the IAPSRS Qarchak centre, in one of the unprivileged neighbourhoods of Tehran for five years, with the aim of supporting the children’s education and providing social work support to the women and girls, especially those exposed to the risk of addiction. Additionally, she has managed the communications department of the IAPSRS for eight years, producing audiovisual materials for campaigns focused on children’s rights. She delivered an oral statement on behalf of the IAPSRS in March 2017 at the Human Human Rights Council in Geneva, which has incurred reprisal attacks against the woman human rights defender.
Hope for political reform in Iran surfaced when President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in 2013 and dozens of opposition political figures and human rights defenders were released. However, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and movement of HRDs continue to be prevalent.
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.
