independence of lawyers.15 16 17 Most recently, a draft bill presented in May 2020 would replace
the Bar Association with the “Supreme Council of the Coordination of Lawyers’ Affairs,” which
would be composed of Government appointed judiciaries.18 The Judiciary is in charge of
investigating the qualification of lawyers and confirming the issuance of licenses to newly
qualified lawyers.19 In November 2020, the Judiciary issued a directive allowing it to investigate
complaints against lawyers instead of the Bar Association’s own disciplinary tribunal.20
In 2000, the Judiciary established the General Office for the Supervision of Lawyers, Experts,
Family Counsellors and Official Translators in accordance with Article 187 of the Law of the
Third Economic, Social and Cultural Development Plan.21 In October 2020, Mohammad
Mosaddegh, the Iranian Judiciary’s Deputy Chief for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs,
announced the creation of a judicial body to supervise lawyers, the General Office for the
Supervision of Lawyers, Experts, Family Counsellors and Official Translators, under the
responsibility of his Office.22 23
In 2014, President Rouhani reportedly stated that “a lawyer should be immune from any
prosecution for carrying out its professional duty, and the investigative authority for the lawyers’
professional issues is the Bar Association.” 24 Yet, human rights lawyers have increasingly been
targeted and have been repressed, arrested, detained, and imprisoned solely for exercising their
rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly and for carrying out their professional
work to defend their clients. Lawyers defending human rights defenders, political prisoners and
prisoners of conscience have been reportedly harassed, arrested, detained and prosecuted in the
Islamic Republic of Iran, notably on security of defamation charges.25 26 27 28 29 30 31
15
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, May 2015, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/28/70
Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/news/2009/07/16/iran-halt-moves-curtail-lawyers
17
Lawyers for Lawyers, https://lawyersforlawyers.org/en/iran-lawyers-call-upon-iranian-authorities-to-revoke-controversial-bill/
18
Radio Farda, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/more-than-12-000-lawyers-in-iran-reject-move-to-dismantle-barassociation/30590110.html
19
The Supreme Disciplinary Court for Judges has the authority to vet lawyers. https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/92825
20
Vokalapress, https://vokalapress.ir/?p=7708
21
Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran, https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/93301
22
Tabnak News, https://bit.ly/2MNjDOj
23
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://iranhumanrights.org/2020/12/new-directive-allows-iranian-judiciary-to-controllawyers-through-disciplinary-body/
24
Lawyers for lawyers, https://lawyersforlawyers.org/wp-content/uploads/Oral-statement-Iran-L4L-LRWC-19-3-2015.pdf;
Meeting the members of the board of Directors of Bar Associations, February 2014) See:
http://www.rouhani.ir/event.php?event_id=310
25
OHCHR News, https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24333&LangID=E
26
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://iranhumanrights.org/2020/06/list-of-attorneys-imprisoned-in-iran-for-defendinghuman-rights/
27
Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/12/13/iran-escalating-crackdown-lawyers
28
See more: Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, https://www.iranrights.org/newsletter/issue/97
29
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, May 2015,
https://undocs.org/A/HRC/28/70
30
See a number of reports published by HRANA: <https://www.en-hrana.org/annual-report-of-prosecuted-lawyers-in-iran>;
<https://www.en-hrana.org/iranian-authorities-detain-lawyers-and-civil-rights-activists>
31
CSHR <http://en.cshr.org.uk/2018/09/04/free-tribune-lawyers-condemns-detention-human-rights-lawyers/>
16
3