human rights defender
Forough Sami'nia
Actions and Campaigns
HRD's Gender
Woman
Type of HRD
- Social and community leader
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Women's rights
HRD's bio and work
Forough Sami-Nia is a women's rights activist and human rights defender who was arrested and prosecuted in Gilan Province for participating in peaceful protests and advocating for women's rights. Along with other female activists, she was sentenced by the Rasht Revolutionary Court on charges of "assembly and collusion to act against national security." Forough is recognized as a prominent figure in the defense of women's rights and has faced significant security and judicial pressures due to her activism. She, along with several other activists, was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht to serve her sentence.
Current Status
Released
Detained since
Jul 13, 2024
Date of release
Jan 29, 2025
Charge(s)
- Subversion
Sentence
6 years, 1 month, and 17 days of imprisonment
Latitude: 37.22875275234703
Longitude: 49.574798507124356
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Southern Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Rasht
Location of detention - Facility
Lakan Prison in Rasht
Recent case update / evolution
Ms. Sami'nia was sentenced to six years, one month, and 17 days of imprisonment by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht, presided over by Judge Mahdi Rasakhee. This sentence was ultimately upheld by Branch 11 of the Appeals Court of Gilan Province, presided over by Judge Mohammad Sadegh Iran Aqideh.
Forough Sami' nia was temporarily released from Lakan Prison in Rasht after the acceptance of her request for a retrial, which resulted in a suspension of her sentence.
Any other relevant documents
فروغ سمیع نیا: با فشار از پایین، قصد تصویب قانون منع خشونت خانوادگی را داریم https://www.hra-news.org/interviews/a-86/
Iran: Mass Arrests of Women’s Rights Defenders https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/19/iran-mass-arrests-womens-rights-defenders
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