Iranian Lawyers Under Attack in Iran and Abroad

Preoccupation with the ongoing armed conflict in Iran has diverted attention from the grim aftermath of Iran’s nation-wide protests that began on 28 December 2025, during which tens of thousands of protestors were killed, arrested, or disappeared.

Lawyers were prevented from reaching their detained clients. Lawyers themselves were among those detained simply for trying to do their jobs. Protestors are now being tried without legal representation before courts that lack any semblance of independence or impartiality. Frequent executions are now being carried out following hasty and grossly unfair proceedings.

Dissidents who flee Iran may be subjected to transnational repression in countries where they seek refuge, including the United States (US) and Canada.

The first fifty days of Iran’s protests: Mass arrests, massacres, and executions

By the fiftieth day of Iran’s nation-wide protests, 15 February 2026, there had been 53,552 arrests and 7,015 confirmed deaths in 210 cities across all 31 of Iran’s provinces, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Iran engaged in mass extrajudicial killings on 8 and 9 January 2026 as security forces reportedly massacred thousands by opening fire on protestors and bystanders.

Dozens of lawyers were among those arrested during and after the protests, merely for carrying out their lawful professional duties. Many other lawyers face charges that carry long prison terms.

The exact number of arrested lawyers remains unclear. Documentation efforts were impeded by Iran’s 88-day disruption of international internet access starting 28 February 2026 when large-scale US and Israeli bombing of Iran began. While internet connections were partially restored on 26 May 2026, restrictions remain nationwide, with internet traffic at around 40 per cent of pre-blackout levels.

Detained lawyers have reportedly been tortured and ill-treated, including prolonged solitary confinement, beatings during interrogation, and denial of medical treatment. A sample list of lawyers arrested before and during the nation-wide protests appears in a written statement dated 15 August 2026 to the UN Human Rights Council, issued by Lawyers for Lawyers and co-sponsored by Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) and the Centre for Supporters of Human Rights (CSHR).

US and Israeli bombings: Prisoners at risk

Detained lawyers are among those facing increased danger from US and Israeli bombings near prisons. On 9 March 2026, Amnesty International reported that Iran had refused to release arbitrarily detained prisoners and had transferred some detainees “to undisclosed locations or areas close to potential military targets.”

In an oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council on 23 March 2026, LRWC (with other NGOs) highlighted the grave risks posed by bombings to detained lawyers and prisoners of conscience in Iran. The statement called on Iran to activate its laws providing for “emergency furloughs, temporary release, or transfer of prisoners to safety during conflict.” LRWC’s joint statement also condemned “all unlawful uses of force, including actions by the United States and Israel against Iran and Iran’s retaliation across the region,” and urged “an immediate cessation of hostilities consistent with obligations under the UN Charter and international human rights and humanitarian law.” Since then, President Trump has on several occasions threatened war crimes and atrocity crimes against the Iranian people, including a 22 September threat at the UN General Assembly that he may “annihilate the Islamic Republic” if the Iranian authorities refuse to “make a deal.”

Gendered repression of women lawyers

While threats and arrests of lawyers tend to escalate during periods of widespread protest, human rights advocates in Iran have faced longstanding threats. Women’s rights advocates are at particularly high risk.

Women lawyers in Iran face both professional persecution and gender-based discrimination. In addition to facing security threats, they must contend with discriminatory laws, mandatory dress codes, and pervasive institutional bias. Research by CSHR and IBAHRI, published in November 2025, details how mandatory hijab laws, gender-based dress-codes, and entrenched social biases constrain women lawyers’ professional opportunities and subject them to humiliating scrutiny and arbitrary restrictions. For example, the CHRS and IBAHRI report describes a situation in which a woman lawyer was barred from an imminent court hearing because she wore nail polish. She was forced to “rush through nearby streets in search of nail polish remover… [and] returned just in time to remove the nail polish and attend the session.”

When women are detained in Iran, they experience added dangers, including threats of sexual violence.

An unknown number of women were arrested during the nationwide protests. Among them were several women lawyers. For example, Shima Ghoosheh was arrested in January 2026 after publicly indicating her willingness to represent detained protesters. She was held in solitary confinement and released on bail of approximately US$40,000.

Human rights lawyer and women’s rights advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on 1 April 2026, in part for a statement condemning the January 2026 massacre of protesters. She reported torture and ill-treatment during her arrest and detention. She has been charged with “propaganda against the state” and was released on bail on 13 May 2026. Ms. Sotoudeh has for over a decade been subjected to repeated arrests, prosecutions, arbitrary detentions, and repeated ill-treatment in retaliation for her human rights work and the legitimate exercise of her professional responsibilities. Ms. Sotoudeh deals with constant monitoring, travel restrictions, and reprisals against her family linked to her international advocacy.

Astareh Ansari was arrested on 3 May 2026 for representing persons detained during the nationwide protests. She is charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the state.” During interrogation she was subjected to beatings and ill-treatment, including denial of medical care, before being released on bail on 22 July 2026.

Bahar Sahraian was arrested on 16 May 2026, reportedly after appearing at the Shiraz Revolutionary Court in connection with a client’s case. She was released on bail on 21 July 2026. Ms. Sahraian faces charges of “assembly and collusion with intent to act against national security,” “propaganda activity against the state,” and “publishing falsehoods.” She was previously arrested in 2022 as part of a group of 30 lawyers in connection with the nationwide protests that began the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was beaten to death on 12 September 2022 by the morality police for “improper hijab.”

A “full spectrum” of transnational repression targeting exiles

Iranians who flee the country continue to face significant threats abroad. Freedom House reports that Iran deploys a “full spectrum” of transnational repression targeting Iranians in exile. According to the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, as of March 2026 exiles in at least 14 countries have reported such repression in retaliation for their advocacy or reporting on human rights in Iran.

Tactics include assassination attempts, kidnapping, forced renditions to Iran, smear campaigns, convictions in absentia, abuse of Interpol red notices, cyber-attacks, and coercion of family members. Women exiles have been subjected to online harassment, including threats of rape and death. Pressure on exiles often extends to their family members in Iran, who may lose their employment, or may be summoned, interrogated, detained, or have their homes raided. To shield families from retaliation, many exiles self-censor or sever contact with their families.

Iranian lawyers facing repression around the world include Shirin Ebadi, a former Iranian jurist and Nobel laureate living in exile in the UK, who has continued to experience state-directed threats and defamation. Iranian-Canadian legal professional and human rights advocate, Ardeshir Zarezadeh, has been threatened by Iranian authorities for his work in support of victims of Iran’s human rights violations. Lawyer and former Canadian Minister of Justice, Irwin Cotler, founder of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights was subjected to threats of assassination by agents of Iran in 2024.

Transnational repression has been documented in Europe, Asia, and North America, including Canada. Iran is among the top three countries engaged in transnational repression of people in Canada, according to Canada’s Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, conducted by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue (Hogue report).

Violation of international law and standards

Iran’s actions against dissenters grossly violate its longstanding international obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which Iran ratified in 1975 (long before Canada acceded to it in 1976 and the US in 1992).

In relation to lawyers, Iran is also in violation of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Basic Principles), which provide that governments must ensure that lawyers can perform all professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment. or improper interference. The Basic Principles are firmly grounded in the ICCPR, which requires fair trials before impartial courts, prohibits extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, and requires humane treatment for detainees.

ICCPR, Article 2, requires States Parties to ensure that victims of human rights violations are afforded a remedy. So far, Iranian lawyers, rights defenders, and dissenters have been afforded no remedies for Iran’s severe and systematic violations of their rights.

Canada and the US, along with all other countries, are obligated by international law to ensure that individuals are not subjected to refoulement; people must not be sent to countries where they are at risk of serious human rights violations. The US has been engaged in refoulement of many immigrants and asylum seekers.

Iranians seeking asylum in the US face risks of deportation, and in some cases, have been sent back to Iran on chartered flights. Notably, one such flight took place in 2026, even after the Iranian regime began to violently crack down on peaceful protesters. A lawsuit launched by the Iranian American Legal Defence Fund alleges that asylum seekers have been present on mass deportation flights from the US since early 2025, including members of Iran’s 2022 Women, Life, Freedom movement.

Iranians who first arrive in the US and later attempt to seek asylum in Canada are often prevented from doing so by the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which denies access to Canada for individuals who have already landed in the US. When Canada sends asylum seekers back to the US pursuant to the STCA, it may be facilitating US violations of international refugee law.

Need for increased protection needed for those fleeing Iran: US and Canada 

Canada has no embassies in Iran itself, as diplomatic relations with Iran were cut off in 2012. At the same time, Canada declared Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.”

Canada has regularly expressed concern about Iran’s human rights violations, including its transnational repression practices. In July 2025, Canada was among 14 countries, including the US, that issued a joint statement condemning the expanding transnational repression within their territories by agents of Iran. The statement highlighted that “attempts by the Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America [are] in clear violation of our sovereignty.” On 10 June 2026, Canada was among 21 countries making another joint statement that “[a]ttempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil, undermines national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately…” Notably, the US joined the 2026 statement, while simultaneously engaged in deporting Iranians to unsafe third countries.

Words that are not matched by actions ring hollow. Canada’s current laws, policies and practices are insufficient to ensure protection and remedies for Iranian lawyers, defenders, and dissenters at home or in exile abroad. A number of actions have been recommended, including the following. 

Revoke the Safe Third Country Agreement

In no case should any Iranian asylum seeker be returned to the US pursuant to the STCA. By maintaining the illusion that the US is a “safe third country” for Iranian exiles, Canadian authorities could be complicit in unlawful US refoulements. Amnesty International and other organizations, including the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Rainbow Railroad, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, have repeatedly sought Canadian government termination of the STCA. In our opinion, Canada is required by international law to do so and to ensure that all asylum laws, policies, and practices fully comply with international law on asylum.

Conduct criminal law investigations and prosecutions

The UN Human Rights Council’s Fact-Finding Mission on Iran recently recommended that countries:

Promptly open criminal investigations into any allegations of transnational repression against human rights defenders, activists, and journalists on Iran, in their territory or jurisdiction, including into the responsibility and role of entities or officials of the Government of Iran, and prosecute those responsible; regularly inform victims of the progress of the investigation and legal proceedings…

Implement a human rights-based approach to transnational repression

Canada already has a policy to protect human rights defenders. Remedies for Iranian lawyers and defenders at risk would include active implementation of Canada’s “Voices at Risk” policy, offering asylum to Iranian defenders facing transnational repression in other countries.

The Hogue report remains one of Canada’s main official actions on transnational repression. Although the Hogue report’s mandate was to address foreign interference and national security related to Canada’s elections, it did find that transnational repression has been used to curtail human rights activism in Canada. Regarding Iran, the report notes that transnational repression is “used to discourage advocacy and activism in Canada for human rights in Iran and against the Iranian regime.”

Canada’s Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics published a 2024 report on foreign interference, which recommended that the Canadian government “ensure that any legislative mechanisms developed to counter foreign interference take into account how they might affect individuals and communities already victimized or targeted by foreign interference in Canada.”

Canada’s 2024 Countering Foreign Interference Act focuses primarily on national security, protection of Canadian interests, and “democratic rights.” In Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “democratic rights” refer to the right to vote. The Act provides no protection of other individual rights that could be violated through transnational repression.

The Canadian government tends to frame transnational repression primarily as a “foreign interference” or “national security” issue rather than as a violation of exiles’ human rights and well-being. The Citizen Lab noted that Canada’s approach to transnational repression is a “far cry from taking specific measures that effectively protect targets – particularly women human rights defenders in exile…” The Citizen Lab report mentioned an Iranian women rights defender in Canada who “experienced online threats and sexual harassment originating from the social media accounts of other Iranians, some of whom she believed were based in the same city. She reported this to the police, who made her feel dismissed when they explained that these posts would be protected under Canadian human rights law.”

Conclusions

On 18 September, the UN’s Fact-Finding Mission on Iran (FFMI) found that the Iranian authorities’ response to the nationwide protests, including the crackdown on lawyers, cannot be understood as a mere continuation of its well-established pattern of suppressing dissent. It represents a significant escalation from the past – in the scale of violence and killings, in efforts to sever contact between communities and with the outside world, in the use of repressive laws and in the ever-increasing use of the death penalty as a tool of intimidation and control.

The violations are now so widespread and systematic that the FFMI found that many of them amount to crimes against humanity.

Not addressed in this article is the impact of the unlawful armed conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, which has spread to other countries in the region. The FFMI has found that the US and Iran have committed war crimes and has urged that “allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by all parties are independently investigated and those responsible held to account.” The FFMI also called on all UN member states to “guarantee protection and assistance for those fleeing or at risk of persecution…”

Protection of Iranian lawyers requires a full spectrum of actions at the international and domestic levels, with all countries taking concrete actions to protect lawyers, human rights defenders, and dissenters – and indeed all civilians, both in Iran and in exile.

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This article is based in large part on research by co-author Paria Saremi, JD, LLM, an international human rights lawyer who served as the principal drafter of a written statement submitted to the UN Human Rights Council by Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) and others regarding arbitrary detention of lawyers in Iran. Paria Saremi conducts advocacy and research on Iran for LRWC and the Zagros Human Rights Center in Geneva.