Abdolfattah Soltani
Encyclopedia
Abdolfattah Soltani is a well-known Iranian human rights lawyer, and spokesman for the Defenders of Human Rights Center
, which was co-founded by the Nobel Peace Prize
-winner Shirin Ebadi
. He has twice been incarcerated in the Islamic Republic of Iran
for political offences in 2005 and 2009.
Along with Shirin Ebadi
, he served as a lawyer for the family of slain Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi
, who was murdered in Evin Prison in July 2003. They also both represented — along with others — jailed journalist Akbar Ganji
during his imprisonment and long hunger strike.
’s Evin prison
from 30 July 2005 till 6 March 2006.
On 30 July 2005, he was arrested whilst holding a sit-in at the building of Tehran’s Bar Association. He was protesting a warrant for his arrest, along with a search warrant for his home, both issued by the Chief Prosecutor for Tehran, Said Mortazavi, on 27 July 2005.
Abdolfattah Soltani was held in solitary confinement until 15 September 2005, when he was moved into a cell with another prisoner. His wife and mother were permitted to meet him for the first time only ten days before this, on 5 September 2005, only in the presence of a prison guard. He looked physically weakened, and said that he had not been informed about the authorities’ intentions in his case. His wife and mother were permitted further visits, usually in the presence of prison guards, but his children did not see him. He was reportedly barred from making phone calls and reading newspapers.
He was interrogated on numerous occasions without the presence of a lawyer. At the beginning of January 2006, after over five months in detention, Abdolfattah Soltani was permitted access to his lawyer for the first time.
The investigating judge originally appointed to deal with his case was replaced with another judge in December 2005, apparently because he was considering releasing Abdolfattah Soltani on bail. On 3 December 2005, the new investigating judge extended the temporary detention order for three months.
On 6 March 2006, Abdolfattah Soltani was released on bail of 100,000 euros.
On 16 July 2006, he was informed that the Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment and the loss of his civic rights for “non-respect of the confidentiality of the preliminary enquiry”, in a trial in which Mr. Soltani appeared for the family of the victim, and during which he had questioned the independence of justice. He appealed the decision and was acquitted on 28 May 2007 of all charges pending against him since July 2005.
Abdolfattah Soltani is due to be honored with the Nuremberg
International Human Rights Award on 17 September 2009.
. There was no arrest warrant, and no reasons for the arrest were stated. He was held there for 72 days, 17 of which were in solitary confinement and was not allowed to shower for the first 15 days. He lost 15 pounds while in prison.
According to Soltani, he was approached by a judge named Majid Matin Rasekh about a day after he was locked up and accused of "being skeptical about the results of the election.“ The judge then issued an order to detain him on "a temporary basis.“ While in prison he listened to young recently arrested inmates being interrogated and pleading innocent and was himself "explicitly" told, "'If you recant, disconnect yourself from Shirin Ebadi
’s human rights center ... then you will be freed right now,'" Soltani refused, and also later refused a one-week humanitarian leave to attend the mourning ceremony of his sister who died in a car crash while he was in prison because it required him to not speak out to the media about his incarceration. When his brother-in-law died two weeks later as a result of injuries from the same crash, he again refused a one-week leave that required him to keep quiet. "Accepting their condition was a rubber stamp on my non-committed crime."
Soltani suspects the motivation for arresting him was anger of the authorities "for continuing to meet with other human-rights lawyers even after" his "small office of the human-rights center" was shut down "for operating without a permit."
Defenders of Human Rights Center
The Defenders of Human Rights Center is Iran's leading human rights organization.-Organization:...
, which was co-founded by the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
-winner Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's,...
. He has twice been incarcerated in the Islamic Republic of Iran
History of the Islamic Republic of Iran
One of the most dramatic changes in government in Iran's history was seen with the 1979 Iranian Revolution where Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...
for political offences in 2005 and 2009.
Along with Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's,...
, he served as a lawyer for the family of slain Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi
Zahra Kazemi
Zahra "Ziba" Kazemi-Ahmadabadi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer, residing in Montreal, Canada, who died in the custody of Iranian officials following her arrest....
, who was murdered in Evin Prison in July 2003. They also both represented — along with others — jailed journalist Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji is an Iranian journalist and writer. He has been described as "Iran’s preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journalist" who has crossed press censorship "red lines" regularly...
during his imprisonment and long hunger strike.
Imprisonment and acquittal 2005, 2006
Soltani was detained without formal charge for 226 days in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
’s Evin prison
Evin Prison
Evin House of Detention is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. It is noted for its political prisoners' wing, where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
from 30 July 2005 till 6 March 2006.
On 30 July 2005, he was arrested whilst holding a sit-in at the building of Tehran’s Bar Association. He was protesting a warrant for his arrest, along with a search warrant for his home, both issued by the Chief Prosecutor for Tehran, Said Mortazavi, on 27 July 2005.
Abdolfattah Soltani was held in solitary confinement until 15 September 2005, when he was moved into a cell with another prisoner. His wife and mother were permitted to meet him for the first time only ten days before this, on 5 September 2005, only in the presence of a prison guard. He looked physically weakened, and said that he had not been informed about the authorities’ intentions in his case. His wife and mother were permitted further visits, usually in the presence of prison guards, but his children did not see him. He was reportedly barred from making phone calls and reading newspapers.
He was interrogated on numerous occasions without the presence of a lawyer. At the beginning of January 2006, after over five months in detention, Abdolfattah Soltani was permitted access to his lawyer for the first time.
The investigating judge originally appointed to deal with his case was replaced with another judge in December 2005, apparently because he was considering releasing Abdolfattah Soltani on bail. On 3 December 2005, the new investigating judge extended the temporary detention order for three months.
On 6 March 2006, Abdolfattah Soltani was released on bail of 100,000 euros.
On 16 July 2006, he was informed that the Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment and the loss of his civic rights for “non-respect of the confidentiality of the preliminary enquiry”, in a trial in which Mr. Soltani appeared for the family of the victim, and during which he had questioned the independence of justice. He appealed the decision and was acquitted on 28 May 2007 of all charges pending against him since July 2005.
Restricted travel
The Iranian authorities seized his identity documents, preventing him from exercising his freedom of movement, in violation of Article 12.2 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. For example, he was unable to travel France from 25 to 31 October 2007 to take up an official invitation to a conference on “Freedom of Expression in Iran” at Sorbonne University on 27 October 2007.Abdolfattah Soltani is due to be honored with the Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
International Human Rights Award on 17 September 2009.
Imprisonment 2009
On June 16, four days after the 2009 June election, Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested, his computers seized, and he was taken to an unknown destination, which turned out to be Evin PrisonEvin Prison
Evin House of Detention is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. It is noted for its political prisoners' wing, where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
. There was no arrest warrant, and no reasons for the arrest were stated. He was held there for 72 days, 17 of which were in solitary confinement and was not allowed to shower for the first 15 days. He lost 15 pounds while in prison.
According to Soltani, he was approached by a judge named Majid Matin Rasekh about a day after he was locked up and accused of "being skeptical about the results of the election.“ The judge then issued an order to detain him on "a temporary basis.“ While in prison he listened to young recently arrested inmates being interrogated and pleading innocent and was himself "explicitly" told, "'If you recant, disconnect yourself from Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's,...
’s human rights center ... then you will be freed right now,'" Soltani refused, and also later refused a one-week humanitarian leave to attend the mourning ceremony of his sister who died in a car crash while he was in prison because it required him to not speak out to the media about his incarceration. When his brother-in-law died two weeks later as a result of injuries from the same crash, he again refused a one-week leave that required him to keep quiet. "Accepting their condition was a rubber stamp on my non-committed crime."
Soltani suspects the motivation for arresting him was anger of the authorities "for continuing to meet with other human-rights lawyers even after" his "small office of the human-rights center" was shut down "for operating without a permit."
See also
- Defenders of Human Rights CenterDefenders of Human Rights CenterThe Defenders of Human Rights Center is Iran's leading human rights organization.-Organization:...