The Farda Briefing

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL senior correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Iran has arrested at least 44 independent lawyers since ongoing antiestablishment protests erupted in September. They include lawyers who have represented protesters arrested in the violent state crackdown on the demonstrations.

Around half of the lawyers have been released on bail, while the rest are still in prison. They include Mohammad Ali Kamifiruzi, who represented jailed journalist Nilufar Hamedi, and prominent human rights lawyer Mostafa Nili, who has also been arrested in the past.

Several attorneys who took part in protests led by lawyers in Tehran and the southern city of Shiraz last month were also arrested, the Sharq daily reported.

Why It Matters: Activists say that by jailing independent lawyers, Iran is denying political detainees the right to a fair trial. Many of those arrested and charged in the ongoing crackdown on the protests have relied on state-appointed lawyers who have reportedly done little to defend them. In some cases, the lawyers have reportedly testified against their clients.

“As the people on the front line of the battle for justice, their arrests have a detrimental impact on the thousands of protesters currently behind bars, some of whom face the death penalty without any experience of the ‘laws’ and complexities of a system of injustice,” the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights NGO said in a recent report.

What's Next: State pressure on lawyers who have taken sensitive political cases is nothing new. In recent years, Tehran has jailed prominent lawyers and human rights advocates, including Nasrin Sotoudeh and Abdolfatah Soltani. Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, meanwhile, was forced into exile. But the current crackdown on lawyers appears to be the most extensive in recent years. At least two lawyers arrested in recent months have been sentenced to prison. More lawyers are likely to be arrested and imprisoned in the weeks ahead.

Stories You Might Have Missed

• Jadi Mirmirani, considered one of Iran's leading technologists and a defender of digital rights, has said that he has been sentenced to six years in prison for comments he posted on social media. Mirmirani announced his sentence in a video message posted online and said he hopes the ruling will be overturned on appeal. Mirmirani was arrested amid the state crackdown on the antiestablishment protests. He was released on bail on December 14.
• Robert Malley, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda in an interview on December 22 that an agreement to revive the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers is not dead. But Malley said Washington is skeptical that Tehran is "prepared or able" to reach an agreement after it backed away from what he called "a golden opportunity" in September to finalize an accord and then threw its support behind Russia in its war against Ukraine.

What We're Watching

Amnesty International has warned that protester Mohammad Ghobadloo is at risk of imminent execution. The 22-year-old was sentenced to death after what Amnesty International said was a trial where his lawyers were not present. Iran’s Supreme Court on December 24 rejected his appeal and upheld the sentence. Ghobadloo was charged with "attacking police with a car, which resulted in the death of one officer and the injury of five others."

Amnesty International has expressed serious concern that Ghobadloo, who is said to suffer from mental problems, was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in custody. His mother pleaded for his life in a video message posted online. Meanwhile, three European politicians who have sponsored Ghobadloo in an attempt to protect him from prosecution have urged Iran to overturn his death sentence.

Why It Matters: Ghobadloo is among 11 protesters who have been sentenced to death in Iran. Two of them have already been publicly executed, in a move that was widely condemned. Amnesty has said that another 15 protesters have been charged with “capital offenses” and are “awaiting or undergoing trials.”

The rights watchdog said the "sham trials” of protesters are “designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran.”

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Frud Bezhan, regional desk editor for Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here's what I've been following and what I'm watching out for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Fewer Iranians have protested on the streets in recent days, more than three months after the nationwide antiestablishment demonstrations erupted.

From the outset, the authorities responded to the rallies with lethal force and mass arrests. But in recent weeks, the government has used increasingly brutal tactics, including the public execution of protesters, in a bid to curb the rallies.

But that has not stopped some Iranians from risking their lives and taking to the streets, especially in the western Kurdistan region, which has been the epicenter of the demonstrations. Three days of protests and strikes were held on December 19-21, following a call for action by protesters.

More Iranians have moved their protests to their rooftops and windows as the risk of arrest and physical harm has increased on the tightly controlled streets.

Videos widely shared on social media appear to show protesters shouting from rooftops and windows late into the night in major Iranian cities in recent weeks. The practice is not new but has become more widespread recently.

Why It Matters: During the protests, Iranians have found new and creative ways to continue the demonstrations. Besides resorting to shouting antiestablishment slogans at night from their rooftops and windows, some protesters have turned to protest art and graffiti.

While less dangerous, those protesting from their homes are not completely safe. Security forces have shot at and broken the windows of apartment buildings where residents have chanted antiestablishment slogans. Security personnel have also damaged cars parked outside these residential buildings.

What's Next: These acts of dissent are likely to continue and increase as the government clampdown intensifies. They are difficult for the authorities to stop and allow protesters to sustain the demonstrations with fewer risks.

Stories You Might Have Missed

• An Iranian political activist imprisoned in the western city of Bukan and subsequently transferred to hospital after falling into a coma died on December 18.

Hengaw, a Norway-based group that monitors rights violations in Iran's Kurdish regions, said Mohammad Haji Rasoulpour was arrested in October during antiestablishment protests in Bukan.

After being rearrested in November, Rasoulpour fell into a coma and later died due to severe injuries he suffered as a result of being tortured, his family said.

• Activis 15-year-old Iranian teenager imprisoned in the central city of Karaj was released on December 15 after an interview with his mother went viral on social media.

Amirhossein Rahimi’s mother told the Tehran-based Etemad newspaper that her son has been in prison for two months even though he still had pellets in his head and chest from wounds inflicted by security forces shooting at crowds during an antiestablishment protest.

She told Etemad that the judge would not reduce bail to an amount she could afford. Following the interview, the teenager was released from detention on a reduced bail.

What We're Watching

Iran's national currency, the rial, has fallen to record lows against the U.S. dollar in recent days. The rial traded at 396,700 to the dollar on December 20, according to traders in Tehran and the Bonbast.com foreign-exchange website.

The antiestablishment protests have worsened the already bleak economic situation in Iran, where the economy has been crippled by years of U.S. sanctions and government mismanagement. During the protests, businesses and state employees have staged dayslong strikes that have hit the economy.

The rial has lost nearly 20 percent of its value since the protests erupted in mid-September. ​

Why It Matters: The plunging value of the rial will add more pressure on the authorities in Iran, where protests over economic grievances preceded the latest nationwide demonstrations.

The rallies have yet to bring large parts of the economy to a halt. But if the protests continue and larger and more regular strikes by public employees are held, observers say there could be significant consequences for the clerical regime.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Frud Bezhan

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.