Arash Kikhavsar, Lawyer and Human Rights Defender, Arrested After Summoning to Court

Arash Kikhavsar, a lawyer and human rights defender, was arrested on Monday, September 25, after being summoned to the court and transferred to Evin Prison. This lawyer and human rights advocate, who had previously been imprisoned in the well-known case of 'Health Defenders,' was arrested again in November 2022 during nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, and was released on bail in mid-March of the previous year. The 28th branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran had sentenced Arash Kikhavsar to one year in prison on charges of 'propaganda against the regime.' Azita Kikhavsar, the lawyer's sister, confirmed his arrest on the messaging platform 'X,' stating, 'Today, my brother Arash Kikhavsar was transferred to Evin Prison to serve his sentence after being summoned to the court.' According to Arash Kikhavsar's sister, 'The signing of the lawyers' statement titled 'The Absolute Majority of the People of Iran No Longer Want the Islamic Republic,' which was issued at the beginning of the Mahsa movement, was the reason for the prison sentence for this lawyer.' Following the outbreak of widespread protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, dozens of lawyers in Iran were arrested. A number of Iranian legal scholars and lawyers, including Arash Kikhavsar, had issued a statement emphasizing that 'the absolute majority of the people of Iran no longer want the Islamic Republic,' urging their colleagues to 'come to the scene as children of the nation.' In this statement, a copy of which was sent to Voice of America on November 2, 2022, they also stated: 'Decades after the Constitutional Revolution, where our ancestors stood against tyranny and brought about a fundamental transformation in the political and legal system of the country, the citizens of Iran now face a regime that believed it could turn the 'nation' into an 'ummah' with the help of the absolute guardianship of a single cleric, thereby eliminating the political rights of the people.' Arash Kikhavsar had previously been arrested in the 'Health Defenders' case for intending to file a complaint against responsible officials of the Islamic Republic for preventing the entry of American and British COVID-19 vaccines into Iran, along with several other lawyers and civil activists. While temporarily released on bail in the 'Health Defenders' case, he was arrested again in late November on charges of 'propaganda against the regime' and was released again on March 6 after posting bail. On the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in police custody, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that 'one year ago, the tragic and unreasonable death of Mahsa in the custody of the so-called 'morality police' of Iran sparked protests across Iran that faced unprecedented violence, mass arrests, systematic internet disruptions, and censorship by the Iranian regime.' Mr. Blinken added, 'We will continue to take appropriate actions to hold accountable those who suppress the enjoyment of human rights by Iranians, alongside our international partners.' Additionally, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, referring to the 'tragic' end of Mahsa's life last September, said, 'Her courage inspired a movement that has remained steadfast against ongoing brutality.' She added, 'The United States' commitment to standing with the people of Iran will remain unwavering.'