Dyan Gershman is a New York City lawyer with experience spanning diverse aspects of domestic and international business law. In addition to leading Gershman Law, PLLC, Dyan Gershman is active with organizations such as the NYC Bar Association and supports its community initiatives.
On March 8, 2023, Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) board member Mehrangiz Kar, a long-time human rights attorney and activist, received the NYC Bar Association’s Women’s Award for Justice and Advocacy. Bestowed on International Women’s Day, the recognition reflects more than two decades of concerted efforts in this area. Kar currently focuses on writing on topics such as Iranian human rights, women’s rights, democracy, and rule of law within an Islamic legal framework.
Appearing as an expert panelist at the NYC Bar’s 2023 International Law Conference on the Status of Women, Kar spoke of a situation in which women who led an uprising over the past six months are being subjected to extreme violence. While social media played an integral role in the spread of productive new ideas, these same digital platforms are now being turned against users as the government scans for content and behavior that is viewed as “anti-Islamic.”
Kar explained that with the aim of suppressing protests, the government is tracking and surveilling the activities of ordinary people. This has resulted in the arrests of tens of thousands of protestors, as well as artists, lawyers, and journalists, not only for taking part in protests, but also for sharing information about these events. Hundreds of people have been killed on the streets and many others have died only a few days after being released from detention. Another facet of this tragic situation is girls’ schools being targeted through toxic gas attacks. Mehrangiz Kar asks that citizens of the US, and NYC lawyers in particular, join together and work in support of Iranian women, as well as efforts to restore independence within the Iranian legal professional.
