Summoning of 54 Lawyers Supporting Mahsa Amini's Family to the Prosecutor's Office in Boukan

As the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in custody of the morality police approaches, human rights sources report an escalation of pressure on supporters of the protesters. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization has announced that the Boukan Prosecutor's Office has summoned 54 active lawyers in the city. In its notification, the Boukan Prosecutor's Office cited the reason for summoning these lawyers as 'the publication of photos, images, and materials contrary to public decency.' According to Hengaw, these lawyers had previously issued a statement on September 27 of last year, expressing support for Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's family and condemning 'illegal behavior by any institution or entity under any title.' The signatories of this statement described Mahsa Amini's death as 'suspicious' and claimed it caused a 'loss of sense of security' in the general public. The 54 summoned lawyers characterized 'blind violence under illegal titles' and 'without trial of its perpetrators' as causing 'fear and terror' in society. These lawyers also expressed their readiness to accept legal representation and support for Mahsa Amini's family 'until a final result is achieved.' The lawyers' statement, sourced from the website Dadban, noted that the Boukan Prosecutor has been continuously pressuring the signatory lawyers with 'contradictory justifications' since late September of last year. Hengaw, while publishing the names of the summoned lawyers, added that according to the prosecutor's notification, they must appear at the prosecutor's office by July 25. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's death in custody of the morality police on September 25, 2022, led to nationwide protests in Iran, resulting in at least 500 deaths, hundreds injured, and thousands of arrests. Recently, Taghi Rahmani, a former political prisoner, emphasized in an interview with Voice of America that the Iranian government intends to suppress all centers of protests, including Friday prayers in Zahedan, student activists, and the Iranian Teachers' Association.