Support from Dozens of Lawyers for Farzaneh Zilabi; Protest Against 'Case-Making' for Human Rights Defender in Iran

Dozens of lawyers issued a statement supporting Farzaneh Zilabi, a lawyer in Khuzestan province, who has faced legal cases for taking on the defense of labor activists. In a statement signed by 62 lawyers, sent to VOA on Tuesday, December 12, and beginning with 'In the name of the pure justice', Farzaneh Zilabi is referred to as 'a refuge for the hardworking, teachers, and the needy of the country'. The signatories emphasized that 'Lawyer Farzaneh Zilabi' has been a 'defender of the legal rights of the people of Iran' for 'many years' with 'unmatched dignity' and has made 'selfless efforts' in this path. According to the signing lawyers, 'what has led to the formation of legal cases against Farzaneh Zilabi today is her honorable legal actions.' The statement also notes: 'It is expected that the judicial system of the country will end any accusations against this honorable lawyer with justice and fairness.' Names such as Giti Pourfazel, Mohammad Seifzadeh, Abdolfattah Soltani, Ramadan Hajimashhadi, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, Payam Darvishan, Babak Paknia, Mehrangiz Kar, Moein Khazaeli, Saeed Dehghan, Ali Sharifzadeh, Khosrow Ali-Kordi, Sina Yousefi, Mostafa Nili, and Maryam Kian-Arshi are among the signatories of this statement. Farzaneh Zilabi has previously been sentenced to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban for taking on the defense of protesting workers of Haft Tappeh on charges of 'propaganda activities'. She has also been sentenced to three months and one day in prison for 'spreading falsehoods to disturb public opinion'. Additionally, during the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, due to accepting the defense of protesters, she faced multiple security charges from the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz, ultimately leading to a one-year prison sentence for 'propaganda activities' and six months for 'insulting the leadership'.