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Mohammad Najafi

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Mohammad Najafi
Born (1975-03-22) 22 March 1975 (age 49) [1]
NationalityIranian
Occupations
  • Lawyer
  • Human rights activist
Years active2009–present [2]
Known forAdvocacy for political prisoners, including the case of Vahid Heydari [3]
OpponentGovernment of Iran
Criminal charges
  • Insulting the Supreme Leader
  • Spreading lies
  • Propaganda against the regime
Criminal penalty14 years in prison and 74 lashes

Mohammad Najafi (Persian: محمد نجفی; born 22 March 1975) is an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist, and political prisoner. He has been repeatedly detained and sentenced to long prison terms by the Iranian security forces due to his involvement in human rights cases, such as the case of Vahid Heydari, a protester who died under suspicious circumstances in a detention center in Arak during the 2017–2018 Iranian protests.[4][5] A vocal critic of the Iranian government, Najafi has been sentenced to over 14 years in prison on charges including "insulting the Supreme Leader", "spreading lies", and "propaganda against the regime".[1]

During his imprisonment, Najafi has gone on hunger strikes several times, and due to his deteriorating health, human rights organizations and Iranian lawyers have repeatedly raised concerns about his condition.[6]

Early Life and Career

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Mohammad Najafi was an attorney in Shazand, Iran. He became well-known for his voluntary defense of political detainees, his investigation into cases related to the deaths of protesters, and his interviews with international media. His outspoken criticism of the suppression of protesters in Iran led to multiple arrests and threats. Since 2017, he has faced nine judicial orders.[7]

Arrests and Sentences

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Initial Arrests

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Najafi's first arrest took place on 9 February 2017, while he was filming a protest by workers at the HEPCO factory in Arak.[8]

On 16 January 2018, after pursuing the case of Vahid Heydari, a protester who died in detention during the December 2017 protests, Najafi was arrested again.[9][10]

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  • On 30 August 2018, Mohammad Najafi was sentenced to 3 years in prison and 74 lashes.[11]
  • On 11 December 2018, the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to an additional 10 years in prison, bringing his total sentence to 14 years.[12][13]
  • On 12 April 2023, he was sentenced to another 3 years in prison in a new case, along with a 150 million rial fine.[14]

Hunger Strikes and Protests in Prison

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Najafi has gone on several hunger strikes during his imprisonment:

  • 19 August 2019: After protesting against Ali Khamenei and publishing a critical letter, he was transferred to solitary confinement and began a hunger strike, which continued until he was returned to the general prison ward.[15][16] He cited one of the reasons for his hunger strike as the false case fabrication against his wife and child by the Intelligence Directorate of Arak.[17]
  • 12 April 2023: After being denied medical care, Najafi started another hunger strike that lasted 55 days, severely deteriorating his health.[17]

Health Issues and Denial of Treatment

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During his imprisonment, Mohammad Najafi has faced serious health issues, yet authorities have repeatedly prevented his transfer to hospitals:

  • 26 August 2021: Despite suffering a heart attack and promises from prison authorities, Najafi was denied medical leave or transfer to an outside hospital.[18]
  • 25 April 2023: Despite his illness, Najafi was returned to prison before completing his treatment.[19]

Efforts to Revoke His Law License

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On 3 September 2023, the Iranian judiciary attempted to revoke Mohammad Najafi’s law license. This move was met with widespread protests from Iranian lawyers.[20]

Reactions and Support

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Human rights activists and international organizations have repeatedly protested the situation of Mohammad Najafi:

Awards

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European Bar Associations Award for Human Rights

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On 28 November 2019 (7 Azar 1398), the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe awarded their Human Rights Prize to four Iranian lawyers, including Mohammad Najafi and Nasrin Sotoudeh. Three of these four lawyers, including Mohammad Najafi, were in prison at the time of receiving the award for defending political prisoners.[25][26]

Iranian Defenders of Human Rights Award

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Defenders of Human Rights Center awarded the "Human Rights Advocate" prize in 2019 to Mohammad Najafi, the imprisoned lawyer and human rights activist. Mohammad Seifzadeh, Abdolfattah Soltani, and Masoumeh Dehghan, representatives of the association, attended his home in Arak and presented the award statue to Najafi’s family.[27]

See Also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Jailed Lawyer Mohammad Najafi's Legal Case" (in Persian). Iran Prison Atlas. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Mohammad Najafi". Iran Prison Atlas. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Iran: Deaths of Detained Protesters Raise Concerns of Ill-Treatment". Human Rights Watch. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Iran: Arrests of lawyers and women's rights activists signal intensifying crackdown on civil society". Amnesty International. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  5. ^ "Iran: Protesters Sentenced in Unfair Trials". Human Rights Watch. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Warning about the deteriorating health of Mohammad Najafi" (in Persian). Radio Farda. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Lawyer Mohammad Najafi Faces New Convictions for Supporting Protests". Iran Human Rights. 29 January 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Mohammad Najafi Arrested While Filming Workers Protest" (in Persian). Radio Zamaneh. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Security Forces Arrest Mohammad Najafi in Arak" (in Persian). Voice of America. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Mohammad Najafi Arrested Again" (in Persian). Iran International. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  11. ^ "Flogging and Prison Sentence for Iranian Lawyer". Iran Human Rights. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Mohammad Najafi Given 14-Year Sentence" (in Persian). BBC Persian. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Iranian Lawyer Mohammad Najafi Sentenced to 10 More Years" (in Persian). Voice of America. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  14. ^ "New Legal Case Results in 3-Year Prison Sentence for Mohammad Najafi" (in Persian). Radio France Internationale. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  15. ^ "Mohammad Najafi Hunger Strike after Protest Against Khamenei" (in Persian). Iran International. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Mohammad Najafi Ends His Hunger Strike" (in Persian). Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Mohammad Najafi Starts Hunger Strike After Denial of Medical Care" (in Persian). BBC Persian. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  18. ^ "Lawyer Mohammad Najafi Denied Medical Treatment 22 Days After Heart Attack in Prison". Iran Human Rights. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  19. ^ "Mohammad Najafi Returned to Prison Despite Unfinished Treatment" (in Persian). Iran Human Rights Society. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  20. ^ "Iranian Judiciary Attempts to Revoke Mohammad Najafi's Law License" (in Persian). IranWire. 3 September 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  21. ^ "Amnesty International Calls for Mohammad Najafi's Release" (in Persian). Radio Farhang. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  22. ^ "Amnesty International condemns the 'harsh sentence' of Amir Salar Davoodi" (in Persian). BBC Persian. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  23. ^ "Iran Human Rights Organization: The Islamic Republic views human rights defenders as a threat to national security" (in Persian). Radio Zamaneh. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  24. ^ "Shirin Ebadi calls for the immediate release of Mohammad Najafi, imprisoned lawyer" (in Persian). Voice of America. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  25. ^ "Nasrin Sotoudeh, Abdolfattah Soltani, Amir Salar Davoodi, and Mohammad Najafi win the European Lawyers and Jurists Association Award" (in Persian). BBC Persian. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  26. ^ "Four Iranian Human Rights Lawyers Awarded EU Human Rights Prize". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 30 November 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  27. ^ "The Iranian Defenders of Human Rights Award presented to the family of Mohammad Najafi, imprisoned lawyer" (in Persian). Voice of America. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
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