Prominent Iranian Lawyer Nemat Ahmadi Loses License

Iranian authorities have withdrawn the license of prominent lawyer Nemat Ahmadi, according to the country’s lawyers’ association, amid growing pressure on attorneys who have represented protesters in recent months.

More than 50 defense attorneys have been arrested since the September 2022 death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody triggered an ongoing wave of nationwide anti-government protests.

The authorities have cracked down hard on the women-led protest movement, killing more than 520 people and unlawfully detaining over 20,000, activists say. Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.

Saleh Nikbakht, a lawyer that has represented Amini’s family, was summoned to the second investigation branch of the Public Prosecutor's Office at Tehran's Evin prison on March 14.

He is accused of "propaganda against the regime," a charge that stems from an "interview with a media outlet outside of Iran."

Amini’s relatives are seeking justice and truth regarding the death of the 22-year-old woman.

Meanwhile, Amir Hossein Najafi, the son of imprisoned lawyer Mohammad Najafi, announced on March 26 that his father had been on a hunger strike for 22 consecutive days.

The lawyer was imprisoned after revealing the killing of a young protester, Vahid Heydari, during the 2018 nationwide protests.

Lawyer Fereshteh Tabanian was arrested in December after participating in an investigation session at the Ahvaz Prosecutor's Office and was released on bail in February.

She is accused of "propaganda activity against the regime," "spreading lies," "association and collusion," "membership in enemy groups" and "insulting the leadership."