Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
HRW – On August 21, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that Saleh Nikbakht, the lawyer who represents Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s family in the case of her death in custody, was ordered to appear before Branch 28 of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Reza Amoozad, on August 29.
On March 11, Nikbakht had been charged with “propaganda against the state” at the 2nd branch of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran and was released on bail pending his court hearing. His trial was originally scheduled for August 1 but was reportedly delayed for administrative reasons.
A source familiar with the case who spoke with the Kurdistan Human Rights Network said that the charge against Nikbakht stems from his interviews with domestic and foreign media. He also has publicly disputed the Forensic Medicine Commission’s finding that Amini’s death was caused by a “heart attack” attributed to an “underlying illness.”
Ahead of the anniversary of the start of the nationwide protests in response to Amini’s death in custody, Iranian authorities have intensified their crackdown, arresting over a dozen activists and increasing their repression of a wide range of dissidents, including lawyers.
Dadban, a counseling and legal education center for activists, reported that on August 22 security forces arrested Amir Hossein Kohkan, the lawyer for the family of Mohammad Mahdi Karmi who was executed after an unfair trial linked to the death of a Basij militiaman during protests.
