Behnam Nezadi, a member of the Central Bar Association, has been sentenced to one year in prison and a two-year ban on practicing law by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Arak.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Mr. Nezadi was convicted on charges of “propaganda against the regime.” As an additional penalty, he has been prohibited from practicing law for two years.
Another part of Mr. Nezadi’s case, involving charges of “spreading falsehoods” and “disclosing confidential information,” is still pending review at the Criminal Court No. 2 in Arak, awaiting assignment to a branch.
Mr. Nezadi’s preliminary interrogation took place in late July at the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in District 23 of Tehran (special jurisdiction for interprovincial cases). During the session, he was charged with “propaganda against the regime,” “spreading falsehoods via cyberspace,” and “disclosing confidential investigative materials.” The authorities also cited actions such as “undermining the judiciary, eroding judges’ confidence, and attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic” as examples of these allegations.
At the end of the interrogation, Mr. Nezadi was released on bail pending further proceedings. During the preliminary stages of the case, the investigating judge issued an order barring him from practicing law in Tehran.
Behnam Nezadi is the administrator of an Instagram page titled “Judicial Misconduct by Judges.” On this platform, he recently shared documents addressing the Disciplinary Prosecutor’s Office for Judges, arguing: “Filing complaints against judges is legally sanctioned, and encouraging people to seek legal recourse cannot be deemed a crime. Moreover, equating the judiciary as an institution with the entire regime is incorrect.”
Mr. Nezadi, a native of Arak and resident of Tehran, is a prominent lawyer and member of the Central Bar Association. His case is one of many highlighting the increasing restrictions imposed on lawyers and legal activists in Iran.
In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) documented 2,380 cases in which citizens, including journalists and civil rights activists, faced legal and security consequences for exercising their freedom of expression and thought. These incidents resulted in the arrest of 3,130 individuals.