The U.S. Calls for the Release of Political Prisoners in Iran

The Human Rights Defenders Support Monitoring Program, a joint initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture, has expressed deep concern over the arbitrary detention of at least six Iranian lawyers who are considered human rights defenders. They have called on the Islamic Republic to ensure their physical and mental well-being and to release them immediately and unconditionally. The program released a statement detailing the situation of each imprisoned lawyer: Mostafa Daneshjou, Arash Keykhosravi, Qasem Sholehsadi, Abdol-Fattah Soltani, Hedi Amidi, and Nasrin Sotoudeh, as well as Mohammad Najafi, Payam Darvishan, Farakh Forouzan Kermani, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, Hossein Ahmadi Niaz, and Mostafa Tork Hamdani. It is estimated that 800 Iranians are political prisoners of the regime for exercising their human rights. We demand the release of these political prisoners and urge the international community to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its abuses against its citizens. The U.S. Department of State estimates that around 800 Iranians are imprisoned for exercising their human rights and has called for their release. Abdolkarim Lahiji, honorary president of the International Federation for Human Rights, believes the number of political and ideological prisoners in the Islamic Republic is much higher, around several thousand. In a message released on Twitter, the U.S. State Department also called on the international community to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its abuses against Iranian citizens.