human rights defender
HRD's year of birth
1956
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Social and community leader
- Trade union leader
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Labour rights
Current Status
In prison (sentenced)
HRD's bio and work
Mehrang Raouf is an Iranian-British labor activist and human rights defender. He was arrested and imprisoned in Iran for his support of workers' rights and his political activities. In 2020, Raouf was detained by Iranian security forces and sentenced to several years in prison on charges such as "propaganda against the regime." Due to the critical human rights situation in Iranian prisons and the widespread international support for his case, Raouf has become a symbol of Iran's labor movement.
Detained since
Oct 16, 2020
Charge(s)
- Anti-government propaganda
- Other
Sentence
7 years and 6 months of imprisonment
Latitude: 35.79735164706754
Longitude: 51.38608608798995
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Southern Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Tehran
Location of detention - Facility
Tehran, Evin Prison
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Mehran Raoof, who is serving his sentence in Evin Prison, is denied leave.
Recent case update / evolution
Mr. Raoof was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to ten years and eight months of imprisonment. The sentence was eventually reduced to seven years and six months of imprisonment.
Any other relevant documents
Protest letter from Mehran Raoof from Evin Prison: "Dual-National Prisoners Are Deprived of Their Civil Rights" https://docs.google.com/document/d/1grg0X-VZWdQvf6B1jcIlOBrAFj8D_j0g4wPIfNg3hYw/edit?usp=sharing
Iran: prison letter from British national Mehran Raoof highlights need for UK action https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/iran-prison-letter-british-national-mehran-raoof-highlights-need-uk-action
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