Help Independent Lawyers Under Attack in Iran

When Lawyers Become Targets

For most people, a lawyer is the last line of protection against injustice. In Iran, however, lawyers who dare to defend political prisoners, women activists, and peaceful protesters increasingly find themselves becoming prisoners too.

Across the country, independent attorneys are being arrested, threatened, suspended from practice, and prosecuted simply for doing their jobs. Their only “crime” is defending citizens who challenge injustice or speak out against repression.

This campaign is not merely an attack on individual lawyers. It is an attack on the very idea of justice.

When a government removes independent legal representation, defendants are left defenseless, families lose hope, and courts become instruments of punishment rather than institutions of law.

Today, many Iranian lawyers face prison, professional bans, and even suspicious deaths because they chose to stand beside the vulnerable.

Repression of Independent Lawyers Under the Clerical Regime

The repression of independent lawyers under the rule of Iran’s clerical regime, particularly during protests and in cases involving political and prisoners of conscience, is part of a broader strategy employed by the judiciary and security agencies to eliminate the right to independent legal representation. In a system where the judiciary does not function as an impartial institution but rather as an extension of the security and intelligence apparatus, the presence of an independent lawyer represents a significant obstacle to narratives fabricated by interrogators and security agencies.

As a result, by arresting, threatening, and disqualifying courageous lawyers, the judiciary seeks to dismantle existing legal support networks for defendants, thereby paving the way for the implementation of its objectives.

Once defendants and their families are placed in a legal vacuum through the repression of independent lawyers, the second phase of this strategy begins: the appointment of court-approved, security-vetted attorneys. These lawyers, selected by the judiciary itself, do not enter proceedings to defend the accused but rather to facilitate the issuance of harsh sentences and the implementation of death penalties. Understanding the removal of independent counsel is therefore essential to understanding the structure of the show trials conducted in Iran’s Revolutionary Courts.

The Mechanism of Deception: Misusing Legal Procedures to Accelerate Harsh Sentences

The removal of independent lawyers transforms Revolutionary Court proceedings into entirely one-sided arenas where security agents, operating under the guise of “court-appointed defense attorneys”, can execute the prosecution’s agenda without obstruction. By maintaining calculated silence regarding torture and refusing to present exculpatory evidence, these lawyers effectively hold the defendant’s fundamental right to defense hostage.

A particularly critical phase of these show trials involves neutralizing the defendant’s right to appeal. These court-appointed attorneys deliberately submit superficial and ineffective appeals immediately after sentencing, allowing the legal 20-day appeal period to expire. This rushed approach serves two security objectives:

1. Preventing independent lawyers from intervening at higher judicial levels.
2. Blocking public awareness and international human rights attention.

As a result of this legal manipulation, the cases of protesters are quietly and rapidly pushed toward execution or lengthy prison sentences.

Documented Cases of Arrests and Repression of Independent Lawyers

1. Widespread Arrests and Indefinite Detentions

These targeted arrests demonstrate direct attacks by security agencies on the legal defense structure available to defendants. In many cases, lawyers are arrested while actively performing their professional duties.

• Bahar Sahraeian, lawyer and member of the Fars Bar Association, was arrested on 17 May 2026 (27 Ordibehesht 1405) while carrying out her professional duties at the Shiraz Revolutionary Court. Following indictments for “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the state,” she was transferred to Adelabad Prison.
• Shima Ghoosheh, a prominent Tehran lawyer, was arrested on 17 January 2026 (27 Dey 1404) after publicly expressing her willingness to represent detained protesters. She was held under significant pressure in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
• Enayatollah Keramati (Karami), a member of the Mashhad Bar Association, was arrested following a raid on his home on 10 January 2026 (20 Dey 1404) and transferred to Vakilabad Prison.
• Nazanin Baradaran (Tehran), Hossein Shokri (Ilam), Zohreh Javani (Tehran), and Sepideh Taheri (Bandar Abbas) were all arrested between January and March 2026 for defending protesters’ rights and remain in detention. The geographical spread of these cases indicates a coordinated nationwide operation.
• Amir Bahadorifar and Dariush Ganjehpour Qashqaei, two lawyers from the Fars Bar Association, were arrested in Shiraz on 22 January 2026 and 25 January 2026, respectively, and transferred to Adelabad Prison to prevent them from representing clients.
• Teymour Salari, a criminal defense lawyer representing political and ideological prisoners, was arrested on 1 February 2026 (12 Bahman 1404) and remains detained in Evin Prison, Tehran.

2. Fabricated Security Charges, Excessive Bail, and License Suspensions

The judiciary, in cooperation with intelligence agencies, employs a multi-layered strategy to silence the legal profession. While Iranian law stipulates that professional complaints and disciplinary matters involving lawyers should be handled exclusively by specialized disciplinary courts for attorneys, the regime criminalizes legal defense work by bringing severe national security charges such as:

• “Assembly and collusion against national security”
• “Propaganda against the state”

Cases are then deliberately kept open for months, often accompanied by exorbitant bail requirements, creating a permanent tool of pressure and intimidation.

At the same time, mechanisms such as suspension of law licenses and judicially imposed professional bans are activated to prevent lawyers from representing clients, even after their release.

Notable examples include:

• Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour, Mehdi Ansari, Mehran Ansari, Jafar Keshavarz, and Jafar Zarei, all members of the Fars Bar Association. During the January–February 2026 crackdown, they were arrested and subjected to professional suspensions and temporary bans.
• Amir Raisian and Milad Panahipour, two prominent human rights lawyers, were arrested on 12 January 2026 and 14 January 2026, respectively, after exposing legal obstacles faced by juvenile protesters and the denial of their right to counsel of choice. They were transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison and later referred to disciplinary authorities with the aim of suspending their law licenses.
• Alireza Farzaneh Jajromi, a lawyer representing protesters in Ahvaz, was released on bail in March 2026 but remained subject to judicial supervision that prohibited him from practicing law pending final judgment.

3. Harsh Sentences, Internal Exile, and Suspicious Deaths

In the most severe cases, authorities have imposed lengthy prison terms, internal exile, and other punitive measures that, in several documented instances, have ended under highly suspicious circumstances.

• Saleh Nikbakht, the 72-year-old lawyer representing Mahsa Amini’s family, was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of restrictions on online activities because of interviews and legal objections regarding the official forensic report. His Sakharov Prize plaque was also confiscated at the airport.
• Amirsalar Davoudi, a lawyer known for defending political prisoners, was initially sentenced to 30 years in prison. After serving four years, he is currently on conditional release secured by bail of 5 billion tomans.

The Suspicious Death of Khosro Alikordi

Khosro Alikordi, a criminal defense lawyer representing protesters in Mashhad, was sentenced to one year in prison, two years of disbarment, and internal exile. In December 2025, his body was discovered in his office under highly suspicious circumstances.

Human rights activists rejected the official explanation of “cardiac arrest” and described the incident as a state-orchestrated killing. These concerns intensified when his brother, Javad Alikordi, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May 2026 merely for seeking justice regarding the death.

Consequences of the Repression: Forced Appointment of Court-Controlled Lawyers

After this wave of arrests cleared the field of independent attorneys, the judiciary increasingly relied on court-appointed lawyers who routinely implemented the narratives of security agencies.

As a result, ordinary protesters, often anonymous citizens with little public visibility, are forced to accept lawyers who effectively function as compliant extensions of the system rather than genuine advocates.

A notable example involves Mehdi Mehrabi, a court-appointed lawyer in a case concerning the alleged arson of the Namjou Basij base before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court under Judge Salavati. Mehrabi allegedly refused to defend four protesters:

• Mohammad Amin Biglari
• Amir Hossein Hatami
• Ali Fahim
• Shahin Vahedparast Kalour

By remaining silent and effectively endorsing allegations presented by interrogators, he facilitated the issuance and implementation of death sentences.

In contrast, the same lawyer reportedly undertook extensive media advocacy on behalf of another well-known client, Pezhman Jamshidi, helping reduce his sentence to flogging. This discrepancy highlights the double standards applied in politically sensitive cases.

Violations of International Law and the Responsibility of the International Community

Under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a State Party, access to an independent lawyer of one’s choosing is a fundamental component of a fair trial.

The systematic repression of independent lawyers and the forced appointment of judiciary-approved representatives constitute a direct violation of these obligations and transform Revolutionary Courts into instruments for the arbitrary imposition of death sentences.

Furthermore, the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers require governments to ensure that lawyers can perform all professional functions without intimidation, harassment, interference, or improper restrictions.

The international community, bar associations worldwide, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should not remain silent in the face of this systematic strategy. Public support for imprisoned Iranian lawyers, comprehensive documentation of judges and court-appointed lawyers involved in these abuses, and targeted legal sanctions against the judiciary and security apparatus of the clerical regime are important steps in defending the last remaining safeguards of fair trial rights in Iran.

Verein Welle – Association for Human Rights and Freedom strongly condemns this systematic and deliberate campaign of repression against independent lawyers and political prisoners in Iran.

Silence in the face of this strategy aimed at dismantling justice amounts to accepting the destruction of the last safeguards of fair trial rights in the country.

We call upon the international community, bar associations around the world, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to increase political and legal pressure on the clerical regime in Iran and to take immediate and effective action to save the lives of innocent prisoners, especially lawyers who have dedicated their lives to defending the rights of others