Iran Intensifies Crackdown On Lawyers Amid Allegations Of State Propaganda
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has reported a disturbing trend of increased persecution against lawyers who have defended protesters or criticized government policies, marking what they describe as an “intensified assault” on the independent legal profession in the country.
In a recent report, CHRI revealed that 16 lawyers in Mashhad have been indicted on charges of “propaganda against the state.” This follows the summoning of 20 lawyers in Yazd province by the Provincial Judiciary’s Central Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary’s Intelligence Protection Unit to face similar allegations.
The rights group indicated that the primary basis for these charges stems from the lawyers’ social media posts. For instance, one lawyer highlighted injustices faced by undocumented individuals in Iran’s impoverished Sistan and Baluchistan province, while another used Instagram to critique corruption and authoritarian governance. CHRI emphasized that these peaceful expressions of concern for human rights are now being weaponized against them.
Esfandiar Aban, a senior researcher at CHRI, stated, “Iran’s judiciary operates in unison with the state’s security apparatus to crush independent lawyers, and with them, the defense of legal rights in Iran. These lawyers are the last remaining safeguards for many unjustly detained individuals, and the authorities are determined to eliminate them.”
Aban described the prosecutions as part of a systematic effort by the Islamic Republic to silence those advocating for fundamental rights, particularly targeting lawyers who defended protesters during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising against hijab laws.
CHRI is urging global leaders to demand that the Iranian government adhere to its obligations under international law, including the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which protect legal professionals from intimidation and harassment. The organization stresses that the ongoing crackdown on lawyers represents a grave threat to human rights and legal integrity in Iran.
