“Today (11 January), Mr. Seifzadeh’s trial was held in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court for the third case raised against him, related to statements and letters that he signed in prison. He did not want to participate in the trial, and he asked me as his lawyer to take only his defense bill to the court,” Golzar told the Campaign.

“Mr. Seifzadeh believes the Revolutionary Court is unqualified to handle his case. He forwent participation in the trial because of the court’s lack of competence and lack of a jury at his trial—which is one of the deficiencies that make this not a fair trial—and for other, similar reasons,” Golzar, who is currently the only lawyer representing Seifzadeh, told the Campaign about her client’s reason for not participating in the trial.

In November 2010, Mohammad Seifzadeh was sentenced to nine years in prison and a 10-year ban on practicing law on charges of acting against national security by participating in the establishment of the Defenders of Human Rights Center. In the latter part of April 2011, security officials of Orumiyeh detained him and charged him with “illegal exit” out of the country. After two months of interrogations, they transferred him to Evin Prison. In July 2011 an appeals court reduced his original sentence to two years’ imprisonment.

Seifzadeh has been held in Evin Prison since May 2011 and charged with “collusion and acting against national security” for his writings. These include a letter to Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran; two articles critical of the way amnesty is applied in the law and of the definition of political crimes; and signing onto collective statements in prison. He was summoned to Evin Prison Court a few days after his first letter to Khatami was published in news websites.

“If we had had a good Judiciary in the old [Shah’s] regime, the revolution would not have happened, as revolutions happen when the disenfranchised people cannot find an organization that would redeem their rights. But, as a judge and attorney with long experience, I have to be fair and say that the Judiciary [under the Shah] was not so bad.” Seifzadeh said in a part of his letter to Khatami.

“Mr. Seifzadeh only wished that I take his defense bill to court, but not participate in the court session. He only wanted his defense bill to be registered. I did just that because I could not do anything other than what my client wanted,” Golzar said.

“In that defense bill, he wrote about the instances of court’s lack of competence, and that fact that from the beginning of his detention his rights as a prisoner were lacking. So far he has been prohibited from having in-person visits with his family, phone calls, correspondence, and furlough, which is an inalienable right for any prisoner,” she continued.

Seifzadeh is currently awaiting sentencing for his new charge of illegally exiting the country.

Golzar expressed her hope that her husband and the rest of the prisoners who have been detained as political and security prisoners be freed soon. “I had a cabin visit with him on Monday, and, thank God, his health was good. With his strong spirit, he deals with his problems in prison,” she said.

“Last Thursday I was able to see Mr. Soltani for about ten minutes. He had lost some weight and was complaining about remaining in prison in a state of limbo. It is really unfair to keep someone in prison for a long time and tell him that ‘it takes a long time to read his case file.’ If they have a reason for his detention, they must present it to the court as soon as possible. Continuing this situation is neither moral nor legal,” said Dehghan.

Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested on the afternoon of 10 September 2011. Throughout his career, Soltani has represented many prisoners of conscience such as Akbar Ganji and Haleh Esfandiari, as well as the families of Zahra Kazemi and Zahra Baniyaghoub, who died under suspicious circumstances while in detention. Soltani was previously arrested in 2009, and was released after two months in prison.

Dehghan told the Campaign that her husband’s case has been forwarded to Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court, adding, “We expect that Mr. Soltani and his lawyer are allowed to read the case file. I also expect his case will be forwarded to a qualified, fair, and impartial branch, and that the legal process of his case is expedited as he has been in prison for two months without clarification of his situation, and his life and work have been disrupted. This treatment is not moral, based on Sharia, or legal.”

Dehghan also spoke about the personal items that were confiscated during Soltani’s arrest, saying, “Things we urgently need, such as ATM cards, Mr. Soltani’s automobile registration card, keys to his law offices, and even my personal educational CDs and family albums have not been returned yet. Despite orders from the court to return our personal items, I don’t know why they have not yet returned anything to us.”

“I expect my husband’s family and lawyers to be allowed to visit with him. The family is also entitled to in-person visits. These are our minimum requests. Based on Iranian laws and citizen’s rights, each prisoner should have these rights,” she added.

“In the ruling, my efforts for starting an international campaign for human rights, establishment of the National Peace Council at the Defenders of Human Rights Center, as well as my position as Deputy Chairperson for the DHRC have been counted as ‘security crimes.’ I have been called ‘an overthrower of the regime’ in the ruling, which is very unfair and unjust.  Of course the 11-year prison sentence is also unfair, but to call human rights activities, an internationally-accepted value, as my actions to overthrow my government is most unfair,” Mohammadi told the Campaign.

Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Mohammadi to five years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security,” five years for “membership in the Defenders of Human Rights Center,” and one year for “propagating against the regime.” “My lawyers had an issue with these charges, in that these three charges are all one in principle. When an individual is a member of a center or society, she would naturally participate in that society. For example, I would organize meetings and conferences, or I was the Center’s Spokesperson for two years, for which I would naturally publish the Center’s news. The court has in effect charged me with membership in the DHRC, and for two other charges that are subsets of the first charge and has sentenced me to six additional years in prison. These are the legal problems with the ruling,” said Mohammadi.

“The DHRC was a civil organization that was established in 2000 by obtaining an operating license from the Interior Ministry. According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, activities of parties, societies, and organizations are allowed.  Additionally, Iran has accepted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and according to Article 9 of Iranian Civil Law, considers international covenants as binding as internal laws. Therefore, according to domestic laws and international commitments, the DHRC was a completely legal organization that performed human rights activities. But in my sentence, this type of activity is referred to as ‘overthrowing activities.’ It is a shame that human rights activities should be considered overthrowing activities for a regime. It is regrettable that such rulings are issued by our courts,” added Mohammadi.

“Since January 2009, when the DHRC offices were shut down illegally and without judicial orders, pressure on its members has increased. I, myself, was barred from leaving the country in May of that year, when I was heading for Guatemala. I was told to stop my human rights activites or else face more deprivation. Several months later, in November of 2009, I was fired from my job for obvious reasons and I was even told during my dismissal that if I continued my human rights activities, I would face more deprivation. After that, I was summoned to Investigative Branch 4. I presented my defense in five sessions and was released on custodianship orders [in lieu of bail]. But 20 days later, in a completely illegal manner, without judicial orders, I was arrested and detained. After I was released, I had two court sessions. Now my sentence which is in continuation of that pressure is very unfair. Instead of valuing human rights activities in our society, this is how they treat the activists. I am concerned that as human rights are taken more seriously in the world, human rights activists will face more prosecution and persecution,” said Mohammadi.

Narges Mohammadi told the Campaign that she would appeal the court ruling within the allotted time. “But I don’t know what decision they will make. The lower court’s decision was unexpected and I didn’t think that they would issue such a sentence for a human rights activist.”

“According to Iranian laws, a copy of the issued ruling must be sent to the lawyer or the suspect, but since a long time ago, they are telling the lawyers to go to the branch and to copy the original ruling by hand, said Mohammadi, adding that, “My lawyers were forced to hand-copy the 23-page ruling yesterday.”

Narges Mohammadi developed a serious illness during her detention in 2010, which required long-term treatment. After security forces stormed her home on 9 February 2010, when her husband was also arrested, she wrote a letter to Tehran’s Prosecutor demanding judicial review of the illegal breaking and entering of her home and the inappropriate treatment of herself and her family by security forces, for which she never received a response from judicial authorities.

Dehghan told the Campaign that she was able to retrieve only three of the many items taken from her home during Soltani’s arrest, but the other items remain in the custody of Intelligence Ministry forces.

“We are concerned, as Mr. Soltani has not called home in five days. He suffers from digestive track illness and this worries us. In his last contact, my husband said that he is inside Ward 209 of Evin Prison along with 10 or 12 other prisoners. He contacted us three times the first week and now we are shocked that he has not contacted us even once in five days. His lawyer went to prison and asked around, but the authorities told him that he has no problems and is well. But we are worried,” said Dehghan. “The prison authorities told him that his objection to his detention has been forwarded to the court and now we have to wait for the court’s opinion, to see whether this objection is overruled or he will be released on bail,” she added.

Abdolfattah Soltani has represented many political and human rights activists and their families such as Akbar Ganji, Zahra Kazemi, Zahra Baniyaghoub, Haleh Esfandiari, several Nationalist-Religious figures and Iranian union activists. He has been arrested several times. He was arrested in 2005 and was acquitted of all charges seven months later. He was arrested again in 2009 after the presidential election, and served two months in prison.

Massoumeh Dehghan, Abdolfattah Soltani’s wife, is a retired teacher who has never engaged in any political activities. She was arrested on 5 July after appearing before Evin Prison Court following a summons she had received three days earlier. She spent five days in a solitary cell and was later released on bail of $30,000. Her charge was accepting the “illegal” Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize. In 2009, when Soltani was awarded the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize, Dehghan received the award on Soltani’s behalf because he was banned from foreign travel. Dehghan received a summons stating her charge following her arrest  to appear before Branch 15 of Tehran Revolutionary Court on 8 November.

“Four men went to my husband’s legal offices. The offices were closed at the time, so they broke the lock and entered. After inspecting the premises, they went to the Revolutionary Court and arrested my husband, who was at the courts to review the case file of one of his clients. They then came to our home with my husband and inspected our entire house. They took CDs, papers, and documents. They took an unopened Shahram Nazeri music CD, which clearly indicated what was inside. They even took some video CDs of family gatherings and our children’s celebrations,” said Dehghan.

“I told the forces: ‘At least show me what you are taking with you.’ But they said: ‘You are not allowed to see.’ I asked them: ‘What are Mr. Soltani’s charges?’ They said: ‘Mr. Soltani himself knows his charges and he knows that we are allowed to search [the home].’ They took several bags full of CDs, documents, and papers belonging to myself, my children, and my husband, and said I should go to Evin Prison Court to get them back.”

“They came at 1:30 p.m. and they left the home at 4:00 p.m. along with Mr. Soltani and the things they were taking. Then they went back to my husband’s legal offices. This time the office was open and the secretary opened the door for them. They took the computers and the case files with them,” Dehghan added. “I don’t know what his charges are or where they took him.”

Abdolfattah Soltani has represented several political and human rights activists, including Akbar Ghanji, Zahra Kazemi, Zahra Baniyaghoub, and Haleh Esfandiari. He was earlier arrested in 2009 and released after two months.

Mohammad Seifzadeh, who was detained by the Orumiyeh Intelligence Office for “illegal exit” in mid-April 2011, wrote a letter to former President Khatami, the text of which was published on several opposition websites yesterday. In his letter, Seifzadeh spoke of widespread violations of legal rights within Iran’s Judiciary system and warns that illegal authorities will soon fill the Iranian prisons, not only preventing the former president’s promises from realization, but imposing worse conditions on the people, the political elite, the political parties, and journalists of the country.

He also stated that every government that has a good judicial system and free newspapers and political parties does not experience revolutions and deterioration, pointing out that: “If we had had a good Judiciary in the old [Shah's] regime, the revolution would not have occurred, as revolutions happen when the disenfranchised people cannot find an organization that would redeem their rights. As a judge and attorney with a long experience, I have to act fairly and say that the Judiciary [under the Shah] was not that bad. But now the former Head of the Judiciary says that the justice system was given to him in ruins, and he passed on an even more ruined system to the current Head of the Judiciary.

Golzar also spoke to the Campaign about Seifzadeh’s physical and mental state. “Until Monday of last week, every time we saw him his mental state was very good, thank God. But he needed special examinations for his liver and I asked the Prosecutor to allow him to be examined at a specialist hospital. Last week he authorized this and [Seifzadeh] was examined. This Saturday he is also going to get an MRI for his head and back. He suffers from a disk problem and he has also been experiencing problems with his head for a while.”

After two months of interrogations at Orumiyeh Intelligence Office Detention Center, Seifzadeh was transferred to Evin Prison where he spent one month in solitary confinement. He is currently in General Ward 350 of Evin Prison. Seifzadeh is a founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center. On 30 October 2010, he was sentenced to 9 years in prison and a 10 year ban on his legal practice on the charge of “actions against national security” by participating in establishing the Defenders of Human Rights Center. His case is still awaiting appeal.

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah

Lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, co-founder and spokesperson for the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), was sentenced by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court on 3 July, to nine years in prison, a ten year ban from teaching in universities, a ten year ban from practicing as an attorney, $300 in fines, and five lashes. Dadkhah’s charges were, “cooperation in the soft overthrow of the regime,” “propaganda against the regime,” “interviews with some media outlets,” “distortion of members of the regime,” “dark portrayal of the state of cultural heritage,” and “compiling the book ‘Writing and Reporting’”, which was published by the DHRC.

Pointing out that the court’s verdict was not handed down to him according to the country’s legal procedure code, Dadkhah told the Campaign: “I went to the court on Sunday morning and I saw the verdict there. But, unfortunately, because they did not hand me the verdict, and because I only had permission to read the contents and take notes, I can’t remember some parts of the verdict. In addition to a ten year ban from teaching and practicing as a lawyer, I was sentenced to nine years in prison for my activities  and being the spokesperson for the DHRC.  I was also sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of propaganda against the regime, $300 cash fine for having a satellite dish, and 5 lashes for another charge that I can’t exactly remember, which was convertible to a cash fine. Also, there was another conviction that I do not remember.”

“I am glad that they did not sentence me to death by hanging, because it was possible that they might have decided on execution. You know, one must always think positively. In a part of my book, ‘Nowruz, the Philosophy of Being’, I promote positive thinking and for the same reason, I do not talk negatively about the verdict. And I thank God that I did not get a worse sentence than this. I am not at all worried about these sentences, because I have acted lawfully and in defense of my homeland, and it is natural for someone who takes a step in the direction of law and order to be treated badly by those who are against law and order,” Dadkhah continued.

“I do not know what I did wrong when I said the city subway must not run under Isfahan’s Si-o-se Pol, against all logic, science, and the law! Have I caused the destruction of cultural heritage for having said that the city subway will destroy the Si-o-se Pol, and that it will also affect Chahar Bagh School, Hasht Behesht Palace, and Isfahan Bazaar; or those who have launched the subway?! Am I the one who is causing damage to a national and historical monument because I asked why a dam is constructed in the vicinity of the Tomb of Cyrus, which has no equal in the world, or are those who took these actions? At least have some fairness and be just and impartial,” Dadkhah said in protest of his sentence.

“I have about 30 days to object to the verdict handed down by the lower court, and I hope to convince the appeals court with reasons that the lower court lacked the necessary judicial legitimacy when issuing the verdict,” continued Dadkhah.

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah is currently defending many student and political activists arrested following the disputed 2009 presidential elections. He is also representing dervishes from Gonabad in their court case regarding the destruction of their mosque. He was arrested on 8 July 2009 at his office following heightened pressure on lawyers. He was in prison for more that 60 days.

The first court session for disbarring prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was held at the Iranian Bar Association on 29 May, though she was not allowed to review the case against her prior to the trial. Based on this reason, the court agreed to Sotoudeh’s request to postpone the session. A handcuffed Sotoudeh was transferred from the political prisoners’ ward in Evin Prison to the Iranian Bar Association, escorted by two soldiers and a female police officer. In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Reza Khandan, Sotoudeh’s husband, objected to her transfer to the Bar Association in handcuffs. “I did not expect such a treatment at all. Ms. Sotoudeh was transferred from Ward 209, a security ward, to the Revolutionary Court six times before, but during none of those times was she handcuffed. Transferring prisoners in handcuffs and foot cuffs is a normal occurrence. But today, when Nasrin was coming to the Bar Association, which is considered her home, it is the home of all lawyers, and lawyers are supposed to feel safe in their homes, she was handcuffed,” he told the Campaign.

“The meeting was held at 11:00 inside a room at the Bar Association. But because Ms. Sotoudeh and her lawyer, Mr. Soltani, were not prepared to defend, because they had not had not been able to read the case file and the indictment, they asked for a rescheduling of the court session. Ms. Sotoudeh said at this court that ‘I don’t even know whether the Prosecutor has asked for the suspension or revocation of my lawyer’s permit, so I don’t know how to defend myself.’  The meeting did not last more than ten minutes,” said Khandan.

Criticizing Sotoudeh’s transfer, Khandan said: “She was well, but she was very upset about being transferred in handcuffs. I think we were more upset than she was, because she is in prison and it must be normal for her to see handcuffs. They brought her to court an hour earlier. During this hour, she was sitting inside one of the Bar Association rooms. They didn’t even remove the handcuffs for one minute to drink a glass of water or write something. As a lawyer, she did not deserve this treatment. It was also disrespectful of the Bar Association to bring one of its lawyers there in handcuffs.”

Judicial authorities asked for the suspension of Sotoudeh’s lawyer’s permit, but the Bar Association has taken over the file by assuming responsibility for it. Sotoudeh has been in prison since September 2010 on charges of “acting against national security,” “collusion and propagating against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and “membership in the Defenders of Human Rights Center.” She was sentenced to 11 years in prison, a 20 year ban on her legal practice, and a 20 year ban on foreign travel.

Lawyer and human rights activist Mohammad Ali Dadkhah

Lawyer and human rights activist Mohammad Ali Dadkhah faced new charges in a trial court hearing held on Saturday, 21 May, including a charge on the same level as apostasy, according to the Deputy Prosecutor. Dadkhah’s charges ranged from membership in the Defenders of Human Rights Center, to representing a case against Isfahan’s Metro for endangering national heritage monuments.

“The most important charge in my case is my membership in the founding committee of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, which according to the court, was operating illegally and against national interests. I said in court that according to articles 26 and 27 of the Iranian Constitution, associations do not need permits. They recognize the Defenders Center as illegal. But the question remains as to whether an individual who wishes to run an illegal operation would go to the Interior Ministry, and adopt its articles of incorporation and credo? The reasoning of the court suffers from a paradox and no wise and rational individual would accept it,” Dadkhah told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran about the charges raised against him in court.

“They told me that my actions smell of nationalism. It was the Prosecutor’s deduction that nationalistic activities amount to apostasy. I told him that I am no expert in this area, but of course I have always defended our cultural heritage, such as Nowruz, to the best of my ability. The prophet of Islam said: ‘Love for the land comes from the belief in God.’ Which one should I accept now and what should I do?” said Dadkhah about his charge of “nationalism.”

Dadkhah told the Campaign that during his trial session, Shirin Ebadi’s activities were also mentioned. “They told me that they believe Ms. Ebadi to have issues, for example that her actions are [towards] overthrowing the regime. I told them that she has a separate and independent case, and [her doings] are not related to my case,” said Dadkhah.

Dadkhah, who was previously arrested and tried on charges of possessing drugs and guns, told the Campaign that his criticism of Saeed Mortazavi, the former Prosecutor of Tehran, was one of the issues raised in his trial. “In court, they asked why I said that Saeed Mortazavi had no right to mention my name in the newspapers as a suspect in a case of possession of guns and drugs. I said that if Mr. Mortazavi is responsible for implementing the law as the Prosecutor, he should know that according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, mentioning a suspect’s name is against the law, whether or not Mr. Mortazavi knew this. If he didn’t know it, he acted against the law and was not qualified to be the Prosecutor.  But if he knew it and acted on it, then he had mal-intention in my case and has treated me on other motivations.”

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah is a lawyer and founding member and spokesperson for the Defenders of Human Rights Center. He currently represents university students and many political activists who were arrested in the aftermath of the 2009 election. He also represented the plaintiffs in the case of the demolished Gonabadi Dervishes’ mosque. After pressure on lawyers began to mount, he was arrested in his office on charges of possession of drugs and guns. He spent more than 60 days in detention. New charges have been raised against Dadkhah, while the earlier case remains open.

“I have gone to the Prosecutor’s Office several times, to no particular end. I mean, I still don’t know the reason for my husband’s arrest, what his situation is, and where in the process his case is. I continue to object to the events that took place during the night of my husband’s arrest. In fact, my first letter to the Prosecutor’s Office was about the way my husband was arrested, the way forces entered my home illegally, and the way they treated me. Breaking the door to a home without a judicial order and snatching someone from his home has no legal justification,” said Mohammadi, who is the spokesperson for the Defenders of Human Rights Center.

“I really hope all the bad events of the past couple of years would come to an end this year. I have two small children. Last year was a hard year for me. First I was arrested, and then my husband. There has been a lot of psychological pressure on my children, and I am not the only one in such circumstances. There are many others like me. I hope to see this conduct corrected through ethical and legal behavior, for us to see better days in Iran and to be able to live our lives. We only want to live peacefully with our families. My children miss their father and they are not old enough for me to explain to them where he is,” said Mohammadi.

Taghi Rahmani, journalist, author, and political activist, has spent one third of his life in prison. He was arrested on 9 February 2011, after security forces broke the door to his home and stormed his residence without a warrant.