Ruling Regime Weaponized Judiciary to Silence Independent Lawyers
Introduction
In Iran under the rule of the Supreme Leader, the repression of lawyers goes far beyond arrests and threats. Systematic tools such as fabricated security charges, harsh prison sentences, flogging, exile, and permanent or temporary revocation of law licenses are employed to eliminate independent lawyers. This structural campaign not only undermines the independence of the legal profession but also fundamentally erodes the principle of fair trial.
- Factual Account
According to documented evidence, a large number of Iranian lawyers who have defended protesters, political prisoners, workers, dervishes, Baha’is, and other persecuted groups in recent years have faced heavy security-related charges.
Many of these lawyers have been repeatedly accused of “propaganda against the regime,” “assembly and collusion,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “forming illegal groups,” and “collaborating with hostile states.” They have been sentenced to long prison terms, flogging, disbarment, exile, and social deprivation.
In many cases, trials have been conducted entirely in secret, in violation of judicial independence, and without access to legal counsel or full case files. Reports also document denial of medical care, psychological torture, simultaneous arrest of family members, and pressure on professional associations to sever ties with targeted lawyers.
Table of Lawyers Sentenced or Deprived of Professional Rights
| Name | Sentence | Current Status |
| Mohammad Najafi | 21 years imprisonment, 74 lashes, permanent disbarment, denied medical care | Evin Prison |
| Amirsalar Davoodi | 30 years imprisonment, 111 lashes, social deprivation | In prison |
| Abdolfattah Soltani | 13 years imprisonment, exile to Borazjan | Released |
| Mohammadreza Faghihi | 5 years imprisonment, 2-year ban on practicing law and leaving the country | Evin Prison |
| Taher Naqavi | 6 years imprisonment, 2-year social deprivation, denied medical care | In prison |
- Prominent Lawyers Facing Dire Circumstances
- Mohammad Najafi: Human rights lawyer sentenced to 21 years imprisonment, 74 lashes, and permanent disbarment; currently held in Evin Prison and denied medical care.
- Taher Naqavi: Lawyer for families of protesters killed during the 2022 uprising; suffering from severe illness without access to specialized medical treatment; under judicial pressure for new charges.
- Mohammadreza Faghihi: Sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and disbarment for defending detained protesters; currently in Evin Prison.
- Farzaneh Zilabi: Lawyer for the Haft-Tappeh sugarcane workers; recently sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and threatened with disbarment; recognized as a symbol of resistance among Iranian women lawyers.
- Unjust Judicial Proceedings Against Lawyers
Recently, the regime has intensified its campaign against lawyers and legal experts through trumped-up charges. The Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Mashhad has issued an indictment against 17 lawyers on charges of “propaganda against the regime.”
The investigating branch of the Mashhad Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office, following the fifth branch of the city’s Revolutionary Court and “despite previous dismissal and cessation of proceedings,” has now issued an order to prosecute these 17 lawyers.
The targeted lawyers include: Amirdokht Bahareh Bazargar, Amin Shahla, Sajad Javadi, Saeed Javadi, Sahar Dashti Daghyani, Elham Arasteh, Mitra Izadifar, Jafar Saghravanian, Rouhollah Hosseini, Enayatollah Karamati, Faezeh Seyedi, Vajiheh Ghorashi Yazdi, Ali Asghar Dashti, Farzaneh Safari, Kazem Chazgi, Mohammadreza Yazdani, and Mehdi Mohammadhosseinian.
These 17 lawyers had their previous sentences annulled through a general amnesty in February 2023, yet they have now been summoned again to Branch 901 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office for renewed interrogation.
A reliable source told Dadban: “These lawyers have not engaged in any new activities, and some are officially registered with the judiciary itself. Many now face imminent risk of license revocation.” The renewed summons of these lawyers serves clear purposes of retaliation, settling scores, intimidation, and heightened repression.
- Legal Analysis
The judicial campaign against these lawyers constitutes blatant violations of international legal standards, including:
- Article 14 of the ICCPR: Denial of fair trial guarantees
- Article 7 of the ICCPR: Psychological and physical torture, including solitary confinement, denial of medical care, and threats against family members
- UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (1990): The right of lawyers to perform their professional duties without fear of persecution or interference
The judiciary’s conduct represents a form of political vengeance and a public warning designed to deter the emergence of independent legal advocacy in sensitive political and social cases.
- Human and Social Impact
The repression of lawyers has far-reaching consequences for Iranian society:
- Families of victims and detainees are unable to secure independent legal representation.
- A climate of fear is reinforced within the legal profession.
- Public trust in the judiciary continues to erode.
- Security agencies exert total control over judicial proceedings, progressively dismantling citizens’ rights to defense.
- Conclusion and Call to Action
This report reveals yet another layer of the regime’s systematic assault on Iran’s legal profession. The fabrication of charges, harsh sentencing, and professional sanctions against courageous lawyers reflect the regime’s deliberate dismantling of the country’s justice system.
📍 Next Report Preview
The forthcoming third report in this series will examine domestic and international reactions to the regime’s repression of Iranian lawyers and analyze the critical role lawyers played during the 2022 uprising.
