This report provides an in-depth analysis of the legal, institutional, and systemic barriers that restrict lawyers in Iran from freely practicing their profession. It examines how a combination of restrictive laws, politically motivated prosecutions, security interference, and gender-based discrimination have increasingly undermined the ability of lawyers to carry out their duties without fear of retaliation. These pressures have not only compromised the independence of the legal profession but have also contributed to the broader erosion of the rule of law. By documenting specific cases and patterns, the report highlights the growing risks faced by Iranian lawyers and the shrinking space for legal advocacy and human rights defence in the country.
The first objective of this report is to investigate and analyse, and to compile a single, authoritative narrative of how successive state policies have eroded the role of the Iranian bar. The second objective is to advocate based on the findings, by providing UN special procedures, treaty bodies, and relevant international actors, including bar associations, with verified and reliable material for use in calls, appeals, country reviews, and thematic reports. The third objective is to raise public awareness, both inside and outside Iran, by equipping civil society actors, journalists, and academics with accessible analysis, galvanizing support for lawyers under attack, and underscoring what is at stake for the people of Iran.
A central theme is the gap between Iran’s ordinary courts, which are bound by the Iranian Code of Criminal Procedure, including certain fair trial safeguards, and the Revolutionary Courts, which since 1979 have tried political and national security cases, in closed hearings, with curtailed evidence rules, and under the restrictive Note to Article 48 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This provision requires defendants in national security and political cases to choose their lawyers from a list pre-approved by the judiciary, effectively denying them the right to independent counsel. The report dedicates separate sections to Revolutionary Court practices, including the arrest of defence counsel and the rapid confirmation of death sentences, as well as to subtler forms of interference in the ordinary judiciary, such as licensing restrictions and disciplinary measures imposed by the Supreme Disciplinary Court.
By clarifying key terms, “legal profession” (lawyers, judges, prosecutors), “lawyer” (individual counsel), and “Bar Association” (provincial bars), the report illustrates institutional capture can coexist with individual resilience. In doing so, it provides a precise and actionable portrait of a profession besieged by arbi-
trary power.
The report concludes that the legal profession in Iran faces profound challenges, including state interference, security-related repression, and gender-based barriers. These pressures undermine fair trial guarantees, the independence of bar associations, and the rule of law. Despite this, Iranian lawyers continue to demonstrate resilience and a commitment to justice. Addressing the systematic suppression of the profession requires co-ordinated action by Iranian lawyers, civil society, and sustained international engagement to restore independence and safeguard fundamental rights.
Based on these findings, the report puts forward practical recommendations. Strengthening the legal profession in Iran requires both short- and long-term measures. In the short term, lawyers and bar associations should prioritize solidarity, make effective use of existing legal tools, and raise public awareness through media outreach. In the longer term, efforts must focus on structural reforms, including building international support networks, drafting laws to safeguard bar independence and lawyers’ rights, and reinforcing the role and credibility of lawyers within society.
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