HRANA News Agency – Abdolkarim Lahiji, an Iranian attorney living in France, has been elected to serve as the president of the International Federation for Human Rights.  The election was made on May 23, 2013 during FIDH’s 38th congress in Istanbul, Turkey.

Lahiji has also served as the vice president of the federation for five consecutive terms totaling 15 years.  After being elected as the president, Lahiji said that his first priority will be to free all human rights defenders who have been imprisoned unjustly around the world.

FIDH’s 38th congress was held in Istanbul from May 23 to 27 with representative from more than 130 countries around the world.  Shirin Ebadi, the winner of Nobel Peace Prize and the head of Human Rights Defenders Council, issued a statement to praise Lahiji’s election as the president of FIDH.  In her statement, Ebadi wished the new president success in his efforts to protect human rights across the globe and free Iran.

FIDH’s main focus is to report and document human rights violations all over the world.