Iran: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah jailed for 9 years
I hope there is as much publicity and outrage over this as there was for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has received reports indicating that Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, the prominent human rights lawyer who served as the lead advocate in the apostasy case of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, was jailed on Saturday 29 September.
Mr Dadkhah was initially arrested in July 2009, along with his daughter and three of his associates, and was accused of “keeping weapons, opium as well as documents” that illustrated links with foreign “enemies”. He was released on 13 September 2009, after posting bail of around US$500,000.
On 3 July 2011, the 15th Branch of the Revolutionary Tribunal disbarred Mr Dadkhah for “actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime” and keeping banned books in his home. He was also sentenced to nine years in jail and a ten-year ban on practicing law or teaching at university. Mr Dadkhah appealed against the sentence, however, while in court representing a client on 28 April 2012, he was informed the appeal had failed, and that he would soon be summoned to jail to serve the nine-year sentence.
Mr Dadkhah, who has represented religious minorities and political and human rights activists, was a co-founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC). Members of this organisation have faced increasing harassment since its forcible closure by the authorities in December 2008.
Tags: News, Religion Society
October 2nd, 2012 at 5:40 pm
In hoc signo vinces†
“Reverend Alan Clifford who was banned by the council from distributing anti-Islamic literature from a market stall.”
Political clarity begins at home, how can we lecture the Iranians when the U.K. authorities ban the distributing of anti-islamic literature and intimidate christians in Norwich.