Case Study: Mohammad Najafi
Introduction
Mohammad Najafi, a 49-year-old human rights lawyer from Shazand, has been subjected to relentless judicial persecution, fabricated national security charges, and heavy sentences since 2016. Known for his defense of freedom of expression, exposure of torture, and representation of the families of killed protesters, he is currently serving a lengthy sentence in Evin Prison. His case exemplifies the collapse of judicial independence and the dismantling of the legal profession in Iran.
Context: The Onset of Persecution and Fabricated Charges
The state-led campaign against Najafi began in December 2017, when he independently pursued the suspicious death of Vahid Heydari, a detained protester who died in police custody at Arak’s 12th precinct. While officials claimed Heydari had “committed suicide,” Najafi collected documentation and witness statements that revealed death by torture. This pursuit of truth triggered a series of arbitrary arrests, prosecutions, and mounting professional restrictions against him.
Judicial Process: Disbarment, Imprisonment, and Exile
Solely for fulfilling his professional duties, Najafi has been sentenced to over 21 years in prison, 74 lashes, and a monetary fine. Most recently, in January 2025 (Dey 1403), Branch 1 of the Supreme Disciplinary Court for Judges permanently revoked his license to practice law. This decision, heavily influenced by security agencies and facilitated by the Bar Association of Markazi Province, was neither procedurally fair nor consistent with international principles of legal independence.
Institutional Betrayal: The Bar Association as an Arm of Repression
In a letter from prison, Najafi condemned the role of the Markazi Bar Association in his persecution:
“In the brutal slaughter of the bar’s independence, its leaders… held the disciplinary hearing unlawfully and treacherously in the Revolutionary Court of Arak.”
He describes the Bar Association not as a defender of legal rights, but as a collaborator in the political machinery of suppression.
Human Rights Analysis
Najafi’s case involves repeated and systematic violations of several articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):
- Article 9: Arbitrary and prolonged detention
- Article 14: Denial of the right to a fair trial
- Article 19: Punishment for exercising freedom of expression
- Articles 22 & 23: Political exclusion from professional associations
- Articles 7 & 10: Denial of medical care and exposure to inhumane prison conditions
Voice from Prison: A Moral Stand Against Tyranny
In one of the most poignant passages of his prison letter, Najafi articulates the reality of state repression in deeply poetic terms:
“This regime cannot tolerate any independent person or institution — not even judges or lawyers.
The independence of the judiciary is essential to justice, freedom, and the protection of fundamental rights, especially in the vital space where the people confront power.
In this confrontation — evident for years through the trampling of rights and freedoms — I stood with the people.
My crime is defending the oppressed, the bereaved, and those who dared to dissent.
My crime is questioning the idols I was expected to worship.
Yes, for daring to be like Abraham, I have been cast into the fire for years.
I burn like a candle — not for the moth, but for the rose of my people.
I do not bargain for bread — my father never taught me to eat at any price.
To serve alongside the torturers of Kahrizak — if not shameful, it is surely no honor.”
These words offer more than protest — they are a profound ethical testimony from within a broken legal system, a powerful blend of resistance, dignity, and grief.
International Reactions and Support
Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the treatment of Mohammad Najafi. Amnesty International has called for his immediate release. Iran Human Rights has stated that Najafi is imprisoned not for any crime, but for his lawful efforts to defend citizens’ rights, and that the charges against him are fabricated and unjust.
Conclusion and Urgent Call to Action
Mohammad Najafi is not merely imprisoned for speaking the truth — he is punished for standing with the people. His case is part of a wider campaign to eliminate independent lawyers in Iran.
We urge international human rights bodies to:
- Demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mohammad Najafi;
- Declare the revocation of his law license unlawful and illegitimate;
- Monitor his health and prison conditions independently and regularly;
- Advocate globally for the structural independence of the legal profession in Iran.
In a country where lawyers are persecuted, no defendant can hope for justice. To save Mohammad Najafi is to defend the very possibility of justice in Iran.
