Iran's Human Rights Lawyers Face Threats, Jail for Cases They Choose
Human rights lawyers in Iran face insults, physical assaults and jail time for taking on such politically charged cases.
The Los Angeles Times chronicles their stories in an article published today.
Among those profiled is Mohammed Dadkhah, who on the eve of his first human rights case, was assaulted by masked motorcycle riders who attempted to rob him of his legal papers.
Another is Mohammed Saifzadeh, a former judge, who survived imprisonment multiple times and survived being banned from law for 10 years and has in the last 10 years handled some 300 human rights case. His clients have included activists accused of subverting national security and scholars accused of insulting Islam.
According to the Times, they are among only about 100 lawyers out of Iran’s 27,000 who are willing to take on human rights cases.
