Increased Pressure on Independent Lawyers; Mohammad Reza Kargar Pishneh Moghaddam Arrested in Karaj

Human rights sources have reported the arrest of Mohammad Reza Kargar Pishneh Moghaddam, a lawyer, by government forces in Karaj. According to Hrana, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists' Collective, Mohammad Reza Kargar Pishneh Moghaddam was arrested on Wednesday, February 25, while on his way to work and transferred to one of the security detention centers in Karaj. The judicial authorities of Alborz province have so far refrained from providing a clear response regarding the reason for the arrest of this lawyer. Kargar Pishneh Moghaddam has represented several protesters and has issued several statements and open letters supporting independent lawyers and criticizing lawyers approved by the head of the judiciary. He is also one of the lawyers for the detainees from the memorial ceremony for Mehrshad Shahidinejad, a deceased protester from the nationwide protests of 2022. More than a week ago, another lawyer named Taher Naqavi was arrested on Tuesday, February 17, in Karaj, and some of his personal belongings, including his mobile phone, were confiscated. So far, no information has been released regarding the charges against these arrested lawyers in Karaj. Pressure on lawyers and legal experts has intensified in recent months following nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. Recently, following criticisms by Mahdokht Damghanpour, the lawyer for Mohammad Qabadol, regarding multiple flaws and doubts in the case of this executed protester, the media prosecutor summoned her. Khosrow Ali-Kordi, a lawyer sentenced to prison, previously emphasized in an interview with VOA that the Islamic Republic has a fundamental problem with the independence of the legal profession from the government and the judiciary and does not tolerate independent lawyers. A group of United Nations experts expressed serious concern on February 2, ahead of the 'International Day of Lawyers at Risk,' stating that 'lawyers in the Islamic Republic of Iran are unable to work independently and free from intimidation, harassment, or criminalization.'