Osman Mozain
Osman Mozain is a Kurdish human rights defender, lawyer and member of the Central Bar Association. He has represented and worked on the cases of human rights defenders belonging to marginalised cultural and religious groups in Kurdish communities as well as prisoners on death row in Iran. The human rights defender has worked extensively to defend the right to life of Kurdish cross-border porters, affording public visibility, a voice and legal representation to those targeted and shot dead or injured indiscriminately by the police located in the border regions between Iran and Iraq.
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.
