Alireza Safarzadeh, A Defender Under Threat
Name: Alireza
Surname: Safarzadeh
Profession: Attorney at law
Place of Work: Esfahan
In 2011, Mr. Alireza Safarzadeh represented several student activists in Esfahan and as a result became the target of threats and harassment by the authorities. According to the available information, during one of the court sessions, an officer who was accompanying the students to the court treated them violently and subjected them to insults. Safarzadeh objected to this treatment and later lodged a complaint against the officer. Ironically, however, the authorities opened a case against him before the Revolutionary Court in Esfahan. Ultimately, Safarzadeh, who, according to the reports, is Kurdish and Sunni, was accused of proselytizing the beliefs of the adherents of Sunni Islam and was banned from practicing law. There is no information regarding his trial and its outcome.
Background:
Law License of the Attorney of Students in Esfahan Revoked
“Alireza Safarzadeh, a Sunni lawyer from Kurdistan, has been barred from practicing law and his law licence has been revoked in Zarrin Shahr, Esfahan province. According to the Center for the Defence of Families of Detainees and Victims, the 45-year old lawyer took on the cases of a number of detained students. During a court hearing, one of the security forces treated the students in a violent and degrading manner. Safarzadeh objected to this treatment and filed a complaint against the agent. His complaint, however, had an adverse effect resulting in the opening of a case against him in the Revolutionary Court in Esfahan. Ultimately, the court revoked his licence in relation to a number of charges including “proselytizing the beliefs of the adherents of Sunni Islam.”
Kalame, July 30, 2011