Gathering of Lawyers in Several Provinces; Protest Against New Parliamentary Resolution

A group of lawyers gathered in the provinces of Kermanshah, Yazd, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, and West Azerbaijan on Thursday, September 2, in protest against a new resolution passed by the parliament in front of the Bar Association buildings in these provinces. According to the new resolution, the issuance of law licenses has been taken away from the Bar Associations and will be transferred to the subsidiaries of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance. According to the report by the Hrana news agency, citing 'Vokala Press', the Bar Associations and a large number of lawyers have deemed the recent parliamentary resolution contrary to the fundamental rights of the nation and a violation of the independence of the Bar Association, urging the Guardian Council to reject the resolution. Simultaneously with the 'nationwide protests in Iran' in 1401, pressure from the government on various segments of society, including 'independent lawyers', has increased. In Ordibehesht of this year, many legal experts and human rights lawyers reported on social media about their summons to Branch 7 of the 'Security Prosecutor's Office' in Evin Prison. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization also announced on July 23, 1402, that the Prosecutor's Office of Boukan summoned 54 active lawyers in this city. These lawyers had previously issued a statement on September 27 of last year, expressing support for the family of Mahsa Amini and condemning 'illegal behavior by any institution or body under any title'. They also announced their readiness to accept legal representation and provide legal support for Mahsa Amini's family 'until a final result is achieved'. Pressure on lawyers from the Islamic Republic has increased in recent months following the onset of the nationwide protests in 1401. The Persian section of Voice of America previously addressed this issue in a special program titled 'The Crisis of Lawyering in Iran', examining the situation of detained lawyers and the access of prisoners and executed protesters to legal counsel.