Increase in the Number of Lawyers Summoned to the 'Security Prosecutor's Office' at Evin Prison

Following the recent summons of legal experts and human rights lawyers, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a lawyer and former parliament representative, announced on Twitter that he has been summoned to Branch 7 of the 'Security Prosecutor's Office.' The Security Prosecutor's Office 'Shahid Moghaddas' is located in Evin Prison. Ali Mojtahedzadeh first reported on May 9, 2023, about a 'new wave' of lawyer summonses and declared himself one of those summoned. This lawyer wrote in this regard: 'Most of the lawyers who have been summoned have been active in the recent protests or in the virtual space.' This is while the case of the lawyers was 'closed' based on the 'amnesty issued' by Ali Khamenei, but analysts suggest that the government seems to be trying to prevent similar events to those of Fall 2022. In this context, Mojtahedzadeh emphasized the necessity of dialogue with various groups in an interview with the 'Etemad' newspaper, stating: 'Unfortunately, it seems that the only way and solution for some officials to solve the country's problems is through repressive measures.' He also mentioned regarding other summoned lawyers to the 'Didban Iran' website: 'The lawyers who have been summoned are more committed and dedicated to the laws and the reform of the country than I am.' Samineh Cheraghi, another lawyer, tweeted: 'I have been summoned to Branch 7 of the Shahid Moghaddas Security Prosecutor's Office on May 20 to defend against an accusation that I do not know what it is.' She continued: 'As I have learned, several other lawyer colleagues have also received such notifications from Branch 7 of the Security Prosecutor's Office. The summons of lawyers seems to continue.' Hassan Younesi, another lawyer who was also detained for a period last year, posted the summons letter on Twitter, writing: 'Summoned to the Security Prosecutor's Office; will you let us breathe for a moment?' Another lawyer summoned from Mashhad to Tehran's Prosecutor's Office is Mitra Izadi Far. Izadi Far explained to the 'Etemad' newspaper why she was summoned: 'Despite the fact that my workplace, home, and activities are in Mashhad, I have been summoned along with other lawyers from various provinces to the Tehran Security Prosecutor's Office, and I must appear at 9 AM on June 1, 2023.' Mohammad-Hadi Jafarpour, another lawyer active in Shiraz, has also received a summons from Branch 7 of the Tehran Prosecutor's Office. Jafarpour, a first-class lawyer in Shiraz, was arrested in November 2022 and was included in the 'amnesty' issued by the 'Supreme Leader.' Sara Hamzeh Zadeh is another lawyer who has reported her summons to Evin Prison, stating that according to the notification, she must appear at this prosecutor's office on Wednesday, June 24. Ali Sharifzadeh Ardekan, another lawyer, has also been summoned to Evin Prison and must appear there on Tuesday, June 23. According to published reports, Mohammad Ali Kamfirouzi and Abolfazl Hamzeh, along with several other lawyers from various cities, have been summoned to Evin Prison. It is still unclear what charges these lawyers have been summoned for and why they all must refer to a 'specific' branch. Pressure on lawyers by the Islamic Republic has increased in recent months following the onset of the widespread protests in 2022. 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 representation.