One of the New York City Bar Association’s signature events was held on January 24 and marked the annual International Day of the Endangered Lawyer. Each year, a country is selected as a springboard for discussion on attempts to silence, harass, persecute, and kill attorneys around the world. Sponsored by the Iranian American Bar Association, this year’s event focused on the repressive religious regime in Iran.
As one Iranian human rights attorney described it anonymously at a sister event in the UK, lawyers in Iran often have limited (or no) access to clients and documentation about the case they represent. They are at risk of being targeted for arrest and prison for the same crimes they are defending clients over, and they and their families may face extra-legal intimidation. As a result, attorneys often leave their profession prematurely, and sometimes must flee the country.
One participant, who directs Iran’s Centre for Human Rights, spoke of how due process and a fair trial are far from guaranteed in the country, which has an “infatuation with the death penalty.” In addition to those in the normal legal profession, there is a parallel, state-established guild that provides licenses to state agents such as former security professionals so that they can practice law. As a result, those within the legal system often follow the state’s rules and codes toward a predetermined outcome, rather than raising legitimate questions about charges.
