human rights defender

Mohammad Najafi

Actions and Campaigns

Urgent support needed

Medical assistance. Mohammad Najafi, imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been denied specialized medical treatment and transfer to a hospital despite suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Organization affiliation

  • Bar Association

HRD's year of birth

1975

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Lawyer
  • NGO member
  • Social and community leader
  • Whistle blower

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights
  • Fight against corruption
  • Fight against impunity
  • Women's rights

Current Status

In prison (sentenced)

HRD's bio and work

Mohammad Najafi is a lawyer and human rights activist, best known for his efforts in defending political prisoners and advocating for civil rights. He lives in Shazand and continues his legal activities from there. Najafi has garnered significant attention for exposing human rights violations and collaborating with media to raise awareness about legal and social conditions. He has consistently stood by the families of political prisoners and defended the right to freedom of expression. Mohammad Najafi is particularly known for exposing the death of a detainee during the January 2018 protests in Iranian detention centers.

Detained since

Jan 4, 2019

Charge(s)

  • Anti-government propaganda
  • Other
  • Spreading fake news

Sentence

21 years and 10 months in prison

Latitude: 35.79718295974653

Longitude: 51.386054752163524

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: Southern Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Arak

Location of detention - Facility

Arak, Evin Prison

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

Mohammad Najafi, imprisoned in Evin Prison, despite suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, has been deprived of receiving specialized treatment and transfer to a hospital. This situation has caused concern for his family and loved ones. https://www.hra-news.org/2024/hranews/a-50491/

Recent case update / evolution

Mohammad Najafi has been sentenced to a total of 21 years and 10 months in prison, a fine of 19 million tomans, and 74 lashes. In 2019, he was pardoned and released in connection with a case in which he had been sentenced to 3 years in prison. However, just a few days after his release, he was rearrested for another case. In his first case, Mohammad Najafi was sentenced by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Arak to 3 years and 4 months of imprisonment and 74 lashes. In the second part of this case, he was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Arak. In another case, Mohammad Najafi was sentenced by Branch 102 of the Criminal Court 2 of Shazand to 2 years of imprisonment and a fine of 40 million rials, a sentence that was upheld by the Central Province Court of Appeals. Additionally, in another case, he was sentenced to 6 months of imprisonment by Branch 23 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Shahmirzadi. Recently, in another case, Mohammad Najafi was sentenced by Branch 106 of the Criminal Court 2 of Arak to 2 years of imprisonment and a fine of 15 million tomans. He was also sentenced to 1 year of imprisonment by Branch 2 of te Revolutionary Court of Arak. Moreover, based on a judgment issued in absentia by Branch 103 of the Criminal Court of Arak and conveyed to Mr. Najafi while he was in prison, he was sentenced to 4 months of imprisonment.

Any other relevant documents

Open letter from Payam Derafshan regarding the tense atmosphere in the court of Mohammad Najafi https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b4oB1l3yiMYuHDMhY9KaRDSMjtS9w7ukz8iKmCyqlYg/edit?usp=sharing

Iran: Sentencing of human rights lawyer to 30 years in prison and 111 lashes ‘a shocking injustice’ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/06/iran-sentencing-of-human-rights-lawyer-to-30-years-in-prison-and-111-lashes-a-shocking-injustice-2/

Iran: Arrests of lawyers and women’s rights activists signal intensifying crackdown on civil society https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/09/iran-arrests-of-lawyers-and-womens-rights-activists-signal-intensifying-crackdown-on-civil-society-2/

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