{"id":1792,"date":"2021-12-18T20:57:50","date_gmt":"2021-12-18T20:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/?p=1792"},"modified":"2021-12-23T21:11:53","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T21:11:53","slug":"health-defenders-jailed-in-iran-wanted-to-sue-supreme-leader-over-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/?p=1792","title":{"rendered":"Health Defenders\u2019 Jailed in Iran Wanted to Sue Supreme Leader Over Covid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dec<\/span>. <\/span>17,<\/span> 2021-<\/span><\/span>NY Times –\u00a0<\/span><\/span>By<\/span> Farnaz<\/span> Fassihi- <\/span><\/span><\/span>Two<\/span> Iranian<\/span> lawyers<\/span> and<\/span> a<\/span> civil<\/span> rights<\/span> activist<\/span> were<\/span> among<\/span> a<\/span> group<\/span> organizing<\/span> a<\/span> legal<\/span> challenge<\/span> to<\/span> Iran\u2019s<\/span> top<\/span> leader<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> government<\/span> over<\/span> their<\/span> disastrous<\/span> handling<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> pandemic<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But<\/span> before<\/span> they<\/span> could<\/span> even<\/span> file<\/span> their<\/span> complaint,<\/span> they<\/span> were<\/span> seized<\/span> and<\/span> incarcerated<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now<\/span> known<\/span> on<\/span> Iranian<\/span> social<\/span> media<\/span> as<\/span> \u201cthe<\/span> health<\/span> defenders,\u201d<\/span> their<\/span> case<\/span> has<\/span> attracted<\/span> widespread<\/span> attention,<\/span> even<\/span> though<\/span> their<\/span> trial<\/span> in<\/span> Tehran<\/span> is<\/span> not<\/span> open<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> public<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe<\/span> were<\/span> still<\/span> discussing<\/span> the<\/span> complaint<\/span> and<\/span> what<\/span> to<\/span> do<\/span> when<\/span> 15<\/span> intelligence<\/span> agents<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> judiciary<\/span> violently<\/span> broke<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> office<\/span> and<\/span> arrested<\/span> us,\u201d<\/span> the<\/span> civil<\/span> rights<\/span> activist,<\/span> Mehdi<\/span> Mahmoudian,<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> phone<\/span> interview<\/span> from<\/span> Tehran\u2019s<\/span> high-security<\/span> Evin<\/span> prison,<\/span> where<\/span> he<\/span> is<\/span> being<\/span> held<\/span> along<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> co-defendants,<\/span> lawyers<\/span> Mostafa<\/span> Nili<\/span> and<\/span> Arash<\/span> Kaykhosravi<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe<\/span> were<\/span> held<\/span> in<\/span> solitary<\/span> confinement<\/span> with<\/span> no<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> lawyers,<\/span> telephones<\/span> or<\/span> family<\/span> visits<\/span> for<\/span> nearly<\/span> a<\/span> month<\/span> in<\/span> an<\/span> illegal<\/span> detention<\/span> wing<\/span> of<\/span> Evin<\/span> that<\/span> belongs<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> judiciary,\u201d<\/span> he<\/span> added<\/span>. <\/span>Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Mahmoudian<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> and<\/span> others<\/span> had<\/span> received<\/span> phone<\/span> calls<\/span> from<\/span> intelligence<\/span> agents<\/span> beforehand<\/span> asking<\/span> them<\/span> to<\/span> cancel<\/span> the<\/span> meeting,<\/span> a<\/span> tipoff<\/span> that<\/span> they<\/span> were<\/span> under<\/span> surveillance<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Mahmoudian<\/span> was<\/span> among<\/span> a<\/span> group<\/span> of<\/span> nine<\/span> Iranian<\/span> lawyers<\/span> and<\/span> civil<\/span> rights<\/span> activists<\/span> who<\/span> had<\/span> gathered<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> Tehran<\/span> office<\/span> one<\/span> afternoon<\/span> in<\/span> August<\/span> to<\/span> discuss<\/span> a<\/span> draft<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> lawsuit<\/span> they<\/span> planned<\/span> to<\/span> file<\/span> against<\/span> the<\/span> country\u2019s<\/span> top<\/span> officials<\/span>. <\/span>He<\/span> said<\/span> they<\/span> had<\/span> been<\/span> planning<\/span> to<\/span> sue<\/span> Supreme<\/span> Leader<\/span> Ayatollah<\/span> Ali<\/span> Khamenei<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> government<\/span> on<\/span> charges<\/span> of<\/span> mismanaging<\/span> the<\/span> pandemic<\/span> and<\/span> hampering<\/span> the<\/span> vaccine<\/span> rollout<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> politically<\/span> motivated<\/span> ban<\/span> by<\/span> Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Khamenei<\/span> on<\/span> importing<\/span> vaccines<\/span> made<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> Britain<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hadi<\/span> Ghaemi,<\/span> the<\/span> director<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> independent<\/span> Center<\/span> for<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> in<\/span> Iran,<\/span> an<\/span> advocacy<\/span> group<\/span> based<\/span> in<\/span> New<\/span> York,<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> planned<\/span> lawsuit<\/span> was<\/span> one<\/span> example<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> movement<\/span> taking<\/span> shape<\/span> across<\/span> Iran<\/span> to<\/span> demand<\/span> accountability<\/span> from<\/span> public<\/span> officials<\/span> and<\/span> justice<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> range<\/span> of<\/span> offenses,<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> killing<\/span> of<\/span> protesters,<\/span> the<\/span> torture<\/span> of<\/span> political<\/span> prisoners<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> deaths<\/span> attributable<\/span> to<\/span> delays<\/span> in<\/span> delivering<\/span> Covid<\/span> vaccines<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese<\/span> lawyers<\/span> were<\/span> really<\/span> the<\/span> voice<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> society<\/span> that<\/span> was<\/span> outraged<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Covid<\/span> situation<\/span> and<\/span> they<\/span> wanted<\/span> to<\/span> put<\/span> this<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> map<\/span> by<\/span> filing<\/span> this<\/span> lawsuit,\u201d<\/span> he<\/span> said<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

From<\/span> the<\/span> onset<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> pandemic,<\/span> Iran<\/span> has<\/span> treated<\/span> independent<\/span> releases<\/span> of<\/span> information<\/span> about<\/span> it<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> crime<\/span> and<\/span> a<\/span> matter<\/span> of<\/span> national<\/span> security<\/span>. <\/span>In<\/span> the<\/span> early<\/span> months,<\/span> for<\/span> example,<\/span> authorities<\/span> banned<\/span> health<\/span> care<\/span> workers<\/span> and<\/span> doctors<\/span> from<\/span> discussing<\/span> the<\/span> real<\/span> number<\/span> of<\/span> hospitalizations<\/span> and<\/span> deaths<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Health<\/span> Ministry<\/span> officials<\/span> involved<\/span> with<\/span> pandemic<\/span> policies<\/span> have<\/span> said<\/span> publicly<\/span> that<\/span> they<\/span> were<\/span> interrogated<\/span> regularly<\/span> by<\/span> intelligence<\/span> agents<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Iran<\/span> had<\/span> already<\/span> been<\/span> ravaged<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> coronavirus<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> time<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> meeting<\/span> in<\/span> August,<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> was<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> midst<\/span> of<\/span> yet<\/span> another<\/span> intense<\/span> wave<\/span> of<\/span> outbreaks<\/span> and<\/span> deaths<\/span>. <\/span>The<\/span> group<\/span> of<\/span> lawyers<\/span> and<\/span> activists<\/span> debated<\/span> whether<\/span> to<\/span> name<\/span> the<\/span> supreme<\/span> leader<\/span> in<\/span> their<\/span> lawsuit,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Mahmoudian<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Some<\/span> of<\/span> those<\/span> present<\/span> favored<\/span> the<\/span> idea<\/span> because<\/span> Ayatollah<\/span> Khamenei<\/span> had<\/span> issued<\/span> the<\/span> vaccine<\/span> ban,<\/span> delaying<\/span> Iran\u2019s<\/span> mass<\/span> inoculation<\/span> by<\/span> months<\/span>. <\/span>But<\/span> others<\/span> opposed<\/span> it,<\/span> arguing<\/span> it<\/span> would<\/span> make<\/span> the<\/span> case<\/span> too<\/span> sensitive<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Mahmoudian<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> lawyers<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> detained<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> four<\/span> months<\/span> in<\/span> Tehran\u2019s<\/span> notorious<\/span> Evin<\/span> prison,<\/span> the<\/span> central<\/span> site<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> for<\/span> holding<\/span> and<\/span> torturing<\/span> political<\/span> prisoners<\/span>. <\/span>Branches<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> intelligence<\/span> service,<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> judiciary<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Islamic<\/span> Revolutionary<\/span> Guards<\/span> Corps<\/span>.<\/span>,<\/span> control<\/span> their<\/span> own<\/span> wings<\/span> at<\/span> Evin,<\/span> where<\/span> the<\/span> prisoners<\/span> are<\/span> kept<\/span> in<\/span> solitary<\/span> confinement<\/span>. <\/span>He<\/span> managed<\/span> to<\/span> evade<\/span> prison<\/span> restrictions<\/span> and<\/span> speak<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> reporter<\/span> by<\/span> phone<\/span> a<\/span> week<\/span> ago<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Iranian<\/span> civil<\/span> rights<\/span> activist<\/span> Mehdi<\/span> Mahmoudian<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> held<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> four<\/span> months<\/span> along<\/span> with<\/span> lawyers<\/span> Mostafa<\/span> Nili<\/span> and<\/span> Arash<\/span> Kaykhosravi<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> notorious<\/span> Evin<\/span> prison<\/span> in<\/span> Tehran,<\/span> the<\/span> central<\/span> site<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> for<\/span> holding<\/span> and<\/span> torturing<\/span> political<\/span> prisoners<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> three<\/span> are<\/span> charged<\/span> with<\/span> spreading<\/span> propaganda<\/span> against<\/span> the<\/span> state<\/span> and<\/span> disruption<\/span> of<\/span> public<\/span> order<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> trial<\/span> that<\/span> began<\/span> in<\/span> late<\/span> October<\/span> in<\/span> Tehran\u2019s<\/span> Revolutionary<\/span> Court<\/span> \u2014<\/span> a<\/span> special<\/span> court<\/span> for<\/span> political<\/span> cases<\/span> and<\/span> political<\/span> prisoners<\/span>. <\/span>They<\/span> are<\/span> also<\/span> charged<\/span> with<\/span> forming<\/span> and<\/span> belonging<\/span> to<\/span> an<\/span> enemy<\/span> organization<\/span> \u2014<\/span> a<\/span> reference<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> group<\/span> they<\/span> established<\/span> called<\/span> \u201cCitizens<\/span> Rights<\/span> Protection<\/span> Association<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> If<\/span> convicted,<\/span> they<\/span> could<\/span> each<\/span> face<\/span> up<\/span> to<\/span> 10<\/span> years<\/span> in<\/span> prison<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/span> statement<\/span> last<\/span> week<\/span> by<\/span> a<\/span> group<\/span> of<\/span> international<\/span> rights<\/span> organizations,<\/span> including<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> Watch<\/span> and<\/span> PEN<\/span> America,<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> their<\/span> immediate<\/span> release<\/span> and<\/span> asked<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Nations<\/span> to<\/span> raise<\/span> their<\/span> case<\/span> with<\/span> Iran\u2019s<\/span> government<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey<\/span> are<\/span> completely<\/span> innocent,\u201d<\/span> said<\/span> Saeed<\/span> Dehghan,<\/span> an<\/span> Iranian<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> lawyer,<\/span> who<\/span> knows<\/span> the<\/span> detainees<\/span> and<\/span> has<\/span> worked<\/span> with<\/span> them<\/span> on<\/span> other<\/span> cases<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s<\/span> U<\/span>.<\/span>N<\/span>. <\/span>mission<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> respond<\/span> to<\/span> questions<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> three<\/span> prisoners<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

During<\/span> the<\/span> raid,<\/span> the<\/span> intelligence<\/span> agents<\/span> demanded<\/span> that<\/span> all<\/span> nine<\/span> people<\/span> present<\/span> \u2014<\/span> seven<\/span> lawyers<\/span> and<\/span> two<\/span> activists<\/span> \u2014<\/span> sign<\/span> a<\/span> statement<\/span> pledging<\/span> to<\/span> drop<\/span> the<\/span> lawsuit<\/span>. <\/span>Some<\/span> agreed<\/span> and<\/span> were<\/span> allowed<\/span> to<\/span> leave<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Five<\/span> were<\/span> arrested<\/span> but<\/span> two<\/span> were<\/span> released<\/span> on<\/span> bail<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Mahmoudian<\/span> is<\/span> currently<\/span> serving<\/span> a<\/span> four-year<\/span> prison<\/span> sentence<\/span> in<\/span> connection<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> previous<\/span> charge<\/span> that<\/span> was<\/span> suspended<\/span> until<\/span> his<\/span> arrest<\/span> in<\/span> August:<\/span> He<\/span> had<\/span> asked<\/span> the<\/span> public<\/span> to<\/span> light<\/span> a<\/span> candle<\/span> in<\/span> memory<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> Airlines<\/span> jet<\/span> downed<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Revolutionary<\/span> Guards<\/span> in<\/span> January<\/span> 2020<\/span>. <\/span>Iran<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> missile<\/span> fire<\/span> that<\/span> had<\/span> destroyed<\/span> the<\/span> plane,<\/span> killing<\/span> 176<\/span> people,<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> mistake<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In<\/span> the<\/span> months<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> raid,<\/span> Iran<\/span> has<\/span> progressed<\/span> in<\/span> its<\/span> vaccination<\/span> campaign<\/span>. <\/span>As<\/span> of<\/span> this<\/span> week,<\/span> Iran<\/span> reports<\/span> that<\/span> 50<\/span> million<\/span> of<\/span> its<\/span> 85<\/span> million<\/span> people<\/span> have<\/span> received<\/span> two<\/span> doses<\/span> of<\/span> vaccine,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> state<\/span> media<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After<\/span> the<\/span> current<\/span> government<\/span> took<\/span> office<\/span> in<\/span> August<\/span> and<\/span> conservatives<\/span> consolidated<\/span> power,<\/span> vaccine<\/span> imports,<\/span> availability<\/span> and<\/span> mass<\/span> inoculation<\/span> improved<\/span> considerably<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> Omicron<\/span> variant<\/span> spreading<\/span> rapidly<\/span> across<\/span> the<\/span> world,<\/span> Iranian<\/span> health<\/span> officials<\/span> are<\/span> encouraging<\/span> the<\/span> public<\/span> to<\/span> get<\/span> booster<\/span> shots<\/span> to<\/span> increase<\/span> their<\/span> defenses<\/span> against<\/span> the<\/span> new<\/span> strain<\/span>. <\/span>And<\/span> in<\/span> this<\/span> sense,<\/span> Iran<\/span> may<\/span> once<\/span> again<\/span> find<\/span> itself<\/span> behind<\/span> the<\/span> curve:<\/span> Only<\/span> about<\/span> 2<\/span> million<\/span> people<\/span> have<\/span> received<\/span> a<\/span> booster<\/span> shot<\/span> so<\/span> far,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> health<\/span> ministry<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many<\/span> in<\/span> Iran<\/span> have<\/span> questioned<\/span> whether<\/span> top<\/span> officials<\/span> deliberately<\/span> held<\/span> off<\/span> on<\/span> importing<\/span> vaccines<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> tenure<\/span> of<\/span> former<\/span> President<\/span> Hassan<\/span> Rouhani<\/span> because<\/span> of<\/span> political<\/span> infighting<\/span> between<\/span> his<\/span> more<\/span> centrist<\/span> government<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> conservative<\/span> camp<\/span> within<\/span> the<\/span> ruling<\/span> system,<\/span> which<\/span> is<\/span> aligned<\/span> with<\/span> Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Khamenei,<\/span> the<\/span> highest<\/span> authority<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> land<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Vaccines<\/span> began<\/span> flowing<\/span> once<\/span> conservative<\/span> President<\/span> Ebrahim<\/span> Raisi,<\/span> a<\/span> close<\/span> ally<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> supreme<\/span> leader,<\/span> took<\/span> power<\/span> in<\/span> August,<\/span> making<\/span> him<\/span> appear<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> more<\/span> efficient<\/span> administrator<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For<\/span> its<\/span> part,<\/span> the<\/span> government<\/span> has<\/span> blamed<\/span> the<\/span> delays<\/span> in<\/span> vaccine<\/span> imports<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> pandemic-related<\/span> problems<\/span> on<\/span> sanctions<\/span> and<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> lobbied<\/span> to<\/span> get<\/span> the<\/span> billions<\/span> of<\/span> dollars<\/span> in<\/span> oil<\/span> revenues<\/span> that<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> frozen<\/span> under<\/span> the<\/span> U<\/span>.<\/span>S<\/span>. <\/span>sanctions<\/span> released<\/span> to<\/span> pay<\/span> for<\/span> vaccines<\/span> through<\/span> the<\/span> Covax<\/span> initiative<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But<\/span> crackdowns<\/span> on<\/span> civil<\/span> liberties<\/span> under<\/span> Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Raisi,<\/span> who<\/span> has<\/span> a<\/span> dire<\/span> record<\/span> of<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> violations,<\/span> have<\/span> intensified,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

rights<\/span> groups<\/span> and<\/span> lawyers<\/span> say<\/span>. <\/span>The<\/span> government<\/span> is<\/span> facing<\/span> almost<\/span> weekly<\/span> protests<\/span> around<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> over<\/span> a<\/span> range<\/span> of<\/span> grievances,<\/span> from<\/span> farmers<\/span> angry<\/span> over<\/span> water<\/span> resource<\/span> mismanagement<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> teacher\u2019s<\/span> union<\/span> striking<\/span> over<\/span> wages<\/span>. <\/span>It<\/span> has<\/span> responded<\/span> with<\/span> an<\/span> iron<\/span> fist<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> trial<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> \u201chealth<\/span> defenders\u201d<\/span> trio<\/span> has<\/span> hit<\/span> a<\/span> nerve<\/span> with<\/span> many<\/span> activists,<\/span> ordinary<\/span> Iranians<\/span> and<\/span> even<\/span> international<\/span> organizations<\/span> who<\/span> are<\/span> asking:<\/span> If<\/span> lawyers<\/span> can\u2019t<\/span> seek<\/span> justice<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Islamic<\/span> Republic<\/span> within<\/span> the<\/span> framework<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> constitution,<\/span> then<\/span> who<\/span> can?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In<\/span> November,<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 500<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> defenders<\/span> and<\/span> activists<\/span> signed<\/span> a<\/span> petition<\/span> demanding<\/span> the<\/span> release<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> three<\/span> jailed<\/span> men<\/span> and<\/span> said<\/span> their<\/span> ongoing<\/span> detention<\/span> violated<\/span> fair<\/span> trial<\/span> guarantees<\/span> under<\/span> Iran\u2019s<\/span> constitution<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In<\/span> October,<\/span> the<\/span> three<\/span> men<\/span> arrested<\/span> in<\/span> August<\/span> published<\/span> an<\/span> open<\/span> letter<\/span> from<\/span> prison<\/span> declaring<\/span> their<\/span> intention<\/span> to<\/span> sue<\/span> Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Khamenei<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> former<\/span> president,<\/span> Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Rouhani<\/span> as<\/span> well<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> former<\/span> health<\/span> minister<\/span> and<\/span> members<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> country\u2019s<\/span> coronavirus<\/span> task<\/span> force<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe<\/span> created<\/span> our<\/span> organization<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> intent<\/span> that<\/span> if<\/span> a<\/span> person\u2019s<\/span> rights<\/span> are<\/span> being<\/span> violated,<\/span> we<\/span> could<\/span> step<\/span> in<\/span> and<\/span> react,\u201d<\/span> Mr<\/span>. <\/span>Mahmoudian<\/span> said<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cBut<\/span> right<\/span> now,<\/span> they<\/span> are<\/span> not<\/span> allowing<\/span> any<\/span> of<\/span> us<\/span> to<\/span> even<\/span> defend<\/span> ourselves<\/span> in<\/span> court<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dec. 17, 2021-NY Times –\u00a0By Farnaz Fassihi- Two Iranian lawyers and a civil rights activist were among a group organizing a legal challenge to Iran\u2019s top leader and the government<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[62,496,478],"class_list":["post-1792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-ayatollah-ali-khamenei","tag-covid-19","tag-seyed-ali-khamanei"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1792"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1792\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1793,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1792\/revisions\/1793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}