When thousands of demonstrators were swept into detention, Iranian lawyers and human-rights defenders stepped forward to do what almost no one else could: stand between detainees and a system built on fear, isolation, and coerced confessions.

• Mahmoud Taravat-Roi publicly announced that he would represent detained protesters free of charge, placing his own safety at risk to ensure people were not left defenseless.
• Nazanin Salari resigned from her position on the Disciplinary Court of the Fars Bar Association, alongside other lawyers, in protest of the Bar Association’s failure to actively support the legal rights of protesters.

On 6 January 2026 Nazanin Salari and Mahmoud Taravat-Roi, along with a third lawyer Masoud Ahmadian were charged with serious accusations, including “collaborating with hostile states,” “gathering and collusion against national security,” and “propaganda against the state.”

Nazanin Salari also faces additional charges, including allegations related to mandatory veiling and morality policing—illustrating how the regime layers accusations to increase sentencing risk and intimidate those who defend protesters.

Why this matters: When a dictatorship intimidates or prosecutes defense lawyers, it is not only punishing individuals—it is attempting to strip detained protesters of legal protection.

These lawyers and defenders are demonstrating extraordinary courage. They are risking their freedom to protect the rights—and lives—of detained protesters.

Please Support & Share this petition to ensure that all detained demonstrators and their defenders are safe from being executed in the dark.