Amnesty International: Suppression of Human Rights Defenders After Hassan Rouhani's Victory

Amnesty International has accused Iran's judicial and security institutions of creating a cycle of repression against human rights defenders by continuously imprisoning and intimidating them; it seems the aim is to end hope for reforms in human rights. In its latest report, the organization states that several human rights defenders and activists in Iran have faced charges related to 'actions against national security' and have been imprisoned. According to the organization, many others have been subjected to surveillance and interrogation, leading them to self-censorship under the shadow of criminal charges. The report, titled 'Caught in a Pressure Network: Attacks on Human Rights Defenders in Iran,' was published on August 2. Amnesty International suggests that the wave of pressure on human rights defenders aims to extinguish any hope that arose following Hassan Rouhani's electoral promises for reforms in this area. The August 2 report mentions that several Iranian activists are facing lengthy prison sentences merely for minor issues such as having connections with UN bodies, the European Union, media, international trade unions, or human rights organizations, including Amnesty International itself. The organization notes that these activists have been condemned for connections with entities that the Iranian government itself engaged with to achieve a nuclear agreement. Meanwhile, state media describe these activists as 'foreign spies,' 'enemies,' and 'traitors.' The report names 45 individuals who, according to Amnesty International, have faced various pressures, from surveillance and interrogation to criminal charges and prison sentences due to their peaceful human rights activities. Amnesty International highlights figures such as Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist; Atena Daemi, an anti-death penalty activist; Omid Alishenas, a civil activist; Golrokh Iraee, a writer and human rights activist; Jafar Azimzadeh, secretary of the board of the Free Workers Union of Iran; and Ismail Abdi, a member of the board of the Iranian Teachers' Trade Association. For instance, Ms. Mohammadi has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for her activities, while Arash Sadeghi, another activist on the list, has received a total sentence of 19 years. Amnesty International also mentions the prevention of transferring imprisoned activists to hospitals outside of prison, citing an example from last December when Mr. Sadeghi's weeks-long hunger strike had put him 'at risk of death.' Ms. Iraee, the wife of Arash Sadeghi, is serving a six-year sentence for writing an unpublished story about stoning in Iran, charged with 'insulting the sacred' and 'propaganda against the regime.' The report also refers to defenders of the rights of ethnic and tribal groups in Iran. Additionally, it accuses Iranian judicial authorities of issuing sentences against activists following trials devoid of justice; sentences that have often been overturned or reduced over time. According to Amnesty International, the lawyers of these activists also face a series of harassing and restrictive actions. The organization has called on Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners sentenced for human rights-related activities and to end 'the punishment of peaceful actions aimed at promoting and defending human rights.' Iranian officials have yet to respond to Amnesty International's latest report. Iranian judicial authorities claim that 'torture and forced confessions' are prohibited in Iran and have stated in some cases that criticisms of them are 'merely politically motivated.' The Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary also stated last year that it has 'transparency and constructive interaction' with monitoring bodies. These statements have faced criticism from various organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which claim they do not align with reality.