A Prison Lawyer's Proposal: Establish a National Foundation for Fundamental Freedoms

A imprisoned lawyer, in a letter on the anniversary of the independence of the Bar Association, emphasized the restrictions on the independence of bar associations and the degradation of the legal profession by the judiciary, proposing the establishment of a "National Foundation for the Defense of Rights and Fundamental Freedoms." Mohammad Reza Faghihi, a lawyer imprisoned in Evin, marked the seventh of Esfand, Lawyer's Day, as a reminder of the efforts, hardships, and struggles of the founders and guardians of the establishment, preservation, and continuity of the independence of the lawyers' guild. He emphasized that the independence of lawyers has been seriously endangered in the years following the 1979 Revolution through various means and the enactment of diverse laws and regulations, stating: "The legislative assembly and the judiciary have spared no effort to limit the independence of bar associations and diminish the status and dignity of the legal profession." Mr. Faghihi asserted that "preserving the remnants of independence" of this professional institution is the duty of all lawyers, adding: "Otherwise, future generations will have a harsh and unrelenting judgment about us." This imprisoned lawyer, stating that he is in prison due to an "unjust, unfair, and arbitrary ruling," mentioned: "In prison, I realized that freedom depends on fulfilling the duties corresponding to each situation." He emphasized that "our efforts to achieve freedom as a fundamental human right must never cease," adding: "Lawyers, who are responsible for defending people's rights, know well that the right to defense is a fundamental right and that legal advocacy is inextricably linked to human rights." Mr. Faghihi also suggested that there is a need to create national and non-governmental institutions to monitor the human rights situation in the country, proposing that civil activists, including lawyers, independent university professors, journalists, and professional activists, establish an institution called the National Foundation for the Defense of Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Mohammad Reza Faghihi is one of the human rights lawyers who was sentenced to five years in prison for participating in a peaceful and legal gathering on October 12, 2022, aimed at supporting the rights of lawyers and condemning the arrest of protesters following the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the Islamic Republic's morality police. Reports have repeatedly indicated pressure on human rights lawyers by the intelligence and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic, which has intensified in recent years. Concurrently with the onset of nationwide protests in Iran on September 17, 2022, at least 44 lawyers were arrested, and later, several of them were sentenced to prison, disbarment, and other social deprivations. Maryam Arvin, a lawyer who was arrested after taking on the defense of detained protesters during the nationwide protests of 2022, died under suspicious circumstances. The mother of this lawyer previously stated that her child's death occurred due to an injection in prison.