🔶UN: Crackdown on independent lawyers in Iran has intensified

UN experts, warning about the escalation of pressure on independent lawyers in Iran, urged officials of the Islamic Republic to immediately put an end to judicial harassment, intimidation, and interference with the independence of bar associations. According to them, the treatment of defense attorneys not only threatens the professional independence of the legal profession, but also severely undermines defendants’ right to effective legal representation and a fair trial.

The UN experts said on Monday, 9 November, that independent lawyers in Iran are increasingly being subjected to judicial pursuit because of their professional work and the defense of human rights, and are facing threats and intimidation. They emphasized that the consequences of these actions do not remain limited to the legal profession; their clients are also put at risk of arbitrary detention, forced confessions, unfair trials, and severe punishments.