Three Attorneys Sentenced to Prison and Additional Punishments

HRANA – Nazanin Salari, Mahmoud Taravat Rouy, and Masoud Ahmadian, three defense attorneys, have each been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz to three years in prison and a two-year ban on leaving the country.

According to HRANA, citing Emtedad, three defense attorneys in Shiraz have been sentenced to imprisonment and supplementary punishments.

A recent ruling issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz found Nazanin Salari, Mahmoud Taravat Rouy, and Masoud Ahmadian guilty. Under the verdict, each attorney was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion with the intent to commit crimes against national security,” and one year in prison for “propaganda activities against the regime.” As an additional punishment, they were also sentenced to a two-year travel ban accompanied by the invalidation of their passports.

The court acquitted the three attorneys of the charge of cooperating with a hostile government.

The report further states: “While the head of Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz had been handling the case during previous hearings, the case was suddenly reassigned to one of the court’s associate judges during the final session. Despite existing procedural flaws, the associate judge took the defendants’ final defense statements and subsequently issued the conviction ruling.”

According to the report, the judicial case against these attorneys stems from their participation in seminars on children’s and women’s rights, their advocacy for legal reforms concerning domestic violence, and other efforts aimed at combating violence against women and child marriage.

The trial session addressing the charges against these attorneys was held on January 6, 2026, at Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz.

The ruling is related to a case opened against them in 2020 on the aforementioned charges. In 2022, during proceedings before the same branch of the Revolutionary Court, the case was returned to the prosecutor’s office due to deficiencies in the investigation and ambiguities in the indictment. A new court session was subsequently held on May 31, 2023, before the same branch. The case was later referred back to the prosecutor’s office once again for further investigation.

The three attorneys were first summoned in connection with this case in November 2020 by the Ministry of Intelligence. Summonses and interrogations continued for more than ten sessions without formal charges being presented. Ultimately, in the summer of 2021, they were summoned to the Shiraz Prosecutor’s Office, formally charged, and released on bail of 1 billion tomans each.

The attorneys are additionally facing charges before Branch 112 of the Criminal Court, including encouraging immodesty and appearing in public without the mandatory hijab.

About 400 Lawyers Demand End to Intimidation of Attorneys in Shiraz 

In an open statement, about 400 lawyers condemned the intimidation and arrest warrants for four public defenders in Shiraz. The statement stated that the continuation of such unlawful actions will cause the loss of public trust in the judiciary.”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in an open letter addressing the judicial authorities, 394 lawyers expressed concern about unlawful actions of security and judicial institutions. They condemned the arrest warrants against four public defenders, including Mahmood Tarawat, Masoud Ahmadian and Nazanin Salari.

They asked the judicial authorities to drop the charges against these attorneys, who have undergone frequent interrogation by security institutions during the last three years.