First Trial Session of Saleh Nikbakht, Lawyer in Mahsa Amini Case, Held

The first trial session of Saleh Nikbakht, the lawyer for the Mahsa (Zhina) Amini case, was held on Tuesday, September 7, in Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Reza Amouzad. According to Hrana, the plaintiff in this case is the Ministry of Intelligence, and the charge against Saleh Nikbakht is 'propaganda against the regime' due to interviews with foreign media. Mr. Nikbakht had previously stated in an interview with the 'Lawyers Press' website that this complaint relates to a series of interviews he conducted with media outlets including Voice of America from 2020 to October 2022. According to this lawyer, nine of his interviews over the past four years are considered evidence presented against him in this case. Ali Rezaei, Saleh Nikbakht's lawyer, stated that these interviews include explanations regarding the judicial follow-up of the Mahsa Amini case, border portering, women's motorcycling, and the police's treatment of Afghan nationals. Mr. Rezaei also mentioned in an interview with the Emtedad website that the content of his client's interviews is limited to criticisms regarding the management of the country and certain illegal actions. Previously, Saleh Nikbakht had rejected the charge of 'propaganda against the regime' and stated that the case against him is related to his representation of Mahsa Amini's family. This lawyer was released on bail on March 10 of last year after being informed of the charges in Branch 2 of the Evin Prosecutor's Office. Mr. Nikbakht, in addition to representing Mahsa Amini, has also represented Jafar Panahi, Eskandar Lotfi, Masoud Nikkhah, and many civil activists and political prisoners. Judicial authorities have denied any connection between the charge of 'propaganda against the regime' and Saleh Nikbakht's representation of the Mahsa Amini case, claiming that actions taken after October of last year are covered by a government amnesty. Massoud Setayesh, the spokesman for the judiciary, had previously repeated a similar narrative regarding the arrest of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, journalists covering the news related to Mahsa Amini's death, claiming that the charges against these two journalists have no connection to Mahsa Amini. However, the families of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi expressed doubt about such claims, noting that the two were arrested immediately after Mahsa Amini's death while in the custody of the morality police.