10 February
We, the undersigned organisations and members of the international legal community,
express our grave concern regarding the systematic denial of access to legal representation
for protesters arrested in Iran, as well as the arbitrary arrest and detention of lawyers for the
legitimate exercise of their professional duties in connection with the recent and ongoing
uprising. We call on the Iranian authorities to immediately end these practices, ensure full and
unhindered access to legal counsel for all detainees, and release all lawyers detained solely
for carrying out their professional responsibilities. These practices represent grave violations
of Iran’s international human rights obligations and a direct assault on the foundations of the
rule of law. These violations take place against a broader backdrop of grave and systematic
human rights violations in Iran, in which lawyers have been specifically targeted for their role
in defending fundamental rights.
Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, thousands of individuals in Iran have been
arbitrarily arrested and detained. Credible reports indicate that many detainees have been
denied timely and effective access to lawyers of their choosing, particularly during the critical
initial stages of detention and interrogation. In numerous cases, families have been left without
information regarding the whereabouts or legal status of their detained relatives.
Access to legal counsel from the moment of arrest is a fundamental safeguard against torture,
ill-treatment, forced confessions, and other serious violations of due process. This right is
enshrined in international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, to which Iran is a State Party, as well as the UN Basic Principles on the Role
of Lawyers.
We are further alarmed by reports that lawyers in Iran who have sought to represent protesters
or document violations of due process have been subjected to harassment, intimidation,
prosecution, arrest, or threat of arrest in connection with their professional activities,
underscoring concerns that the legal profession is operating under sustained threat.
Full statement in PDF click here
