Britain’s regulatory body for solicitors the Law Society, published a statement on Nov. 22 expressing concern about the ongoing detention and ill-treatment of lawyers in Iran.
The statement follows an Oct. 18 press release co-written by the organization and Lawyers for Lawyers, an Amsterdam-based movement defending lawyers’ human rights. The bodies drew attention to the cases of 12 lawyers arrested in Iran, in the earlier release. The latest statement expressed concern about an additional 23 attorneys arrested in October, and called for the immediate release of every unjustly detained lawyer and human rights defender in the country.
The Law Society also asked the Iranian government to: guarantee the “psychological and physical integrity” of the lawyers and human rights defenders prior to release; ensure access to legal representation of their own choice; fair trials for any lawyers or human rights defenders who are not released; and that lawyers and human rights defenders in Iran are able to carry out their professional duties without “intimidation, hindrance or improper interference.”
