Mohammad Seifzadeh

Mohammad Seifzadeh (Persian: سید محمد سیف زاده - born 1948) is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge, human rights activist and a cofounder of Centre for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran. He is the older brother of Hossein Seifzadeh, an Iranian political scientist.

سید محمد سیف زاده
Mohammad Seifzadeh
Born1948
Qom, Iran
NationalityIranian
Occupation(s)lawyer, Founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center


Life

Seifzadeh was a member of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi's legal team in 2004 when she represented the mother of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who had been murdered in an Iranian prison, allegedly by an Iranian security officer.[1]


In October 2010, Seifzadeh was charged with "collusion and assembly with intent to disrupt internal security," "propagation activities against the regime," and "establishing the Center for Human Rights Defenders."[2] He was sentenced to 9 years of prison and 10 years of ban from the practice of law.[3] He called the ruling the result of "an unlawful court proceeding".[4]

While appealing the ruling, Seifzahed remained at liberty. In April 2011, he visited Urumiyeh on the Turkish border and was arrested by Iranian officials on charges of attempting to leave the country illegally. Seifzahed's lawyer argued that he had only been in the city for a research project.[2]

Since then, various organizations such as the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have called for his release.[5][6] Amnesty International designated him a prisoner of conscience.[7]

See also

References
  1. Ali Akbar Dareini (18 July 2004). "Nobel laureate protests court decision, threatens to take slain photojournalist case to international organizations". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  2. "Another lawyer jailed, this one for visiting Urumiyeh". Iran Times International. 29 April 2011. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  3. Golnaz Esfandiari (1 November 2010). "Prominent Iranian Rights Lawyer Sentenced To Nine Years In Prison". Radio Free Europe. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  4. "Prominent Attorney Mohammad Seifzadeh Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison". Human Rights House of Iran. 1 November 2010. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  5. "Release of a human rights lawyer, while others remain arbitrarily detained and harassed". International Federation for Human Rights. 29 April 2011. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  6. "Regime Still Targeting Human Rights Lawyers and Journalists". Reporters Without Borders. 27 April 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  7. "Iran must release human rights defender Mohammad Ali Dadkhah". Amnesty International. 1 October 2012. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
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