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A joint statement has been issued in protest against the arrest of about 50 participants in the memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights defender. The statement brings together— for the first time— the signatures of over 1000 prominent voices from a wide range of backgrounds: political, civil, and labor activists; prominent artists and journalists; families of those killed, former cellmates; independent lawyers; and students and professors. Signatories include, courageously, activists inside Iran.

Many of the approximately 50 arrestees remain in detention with little or no contact with family or lawyers, injured and/or in need of medical care, so time is of the essence for their safety. Share with friends and colleagues!

‍The International Emergency Campaign to Free Iran’s Political Prisoners Now (IEC) urges you to sign and circulate this petition on change.org, and share with friends and colleagues:

https://c.org/SmTJynFMZg

On the right to mourn and to demand freedom

20 Dec 2025
Tehran – Iran

More than 50 citizens and civil society activists, including Narges Mohammadi, Alieh Motalebzadeh, Hasti Amiri, Sepideh Gholian, and Pouran Nazemi, were arrested in Mashhad during the memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a principled lawyer and human rights defender.

We, the signatories of this statement, strongly condemn the arrest of participants in this ceremony. We condemn the violent arrest and the beating of our loved ones present at the memorial. We also condemn the complicity of those who accompanied this unrestrained violence with inhumane behavior. What happened in Mashhad was a trampling of all aspects of human dignity.

Holding memorial and mourning ceremonies for the deceased is an inseparable part of fundamental human and civil rights. Every person has the right, without fear of threats or arrest, to participate in mourning rituals, peaceful gatherings, and civil activities. What occurred in Mashhad once again showed that even the simplest and most humane forms of collective empathy are met with repression and violence.

Nevertheless, the widespread presence of citizens from various parts of the country at the memorial for Khosrow Alikordi is a clear sign of social solidarity and the deep respect of people who consider the suffering of others as their own and do not remain silent in the face of injustice.

We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and emphasize their fundamental right to access phone calls, family visits, independent legal counsel, and medical care. We also call on all those who believe in civil liberties and human dignity to stand alongside political and civil prisoners and be their voice.

Narges Mohammadi, Sepideh Gholian, Javad Alikordi, Abolfazl Abri, Pouran Nazemi, Hassan Bagheri-Nia, Tayebeh Nazari, Alieh Motalebzadeh, Ali Adinehzadeh, and Hasti Amiri are among the civil society figures who were arrested during the ceremony.

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While authorities have confirmed the arrest of 39 people in Mashhad, human rights activists say the number of detainees exceeds 50. According to lists published on social media and reports by human rights sources, the names of Mohammadreza Babaei, Javad Jalali, Hamed Zare’, Heydar Chah-Chamandi, Mahmoud Khanali, Amir Khavari, Hamed Hosseini, Mohammad Hossein Hosseini, Noora Haghi, Hamed Rasulkhani, Mehdi Rasulkhani, Yaser Dehestani, Kamran Alikordi, Milad Fattah, Hossein Mohabbati, and Pouria Najjarzadeh have also been cited among those detained.

Support this statement by adding your signature : https://c.org/SmTJynFMZg

Over 1,000 political and civil activists, journalists, filmmakers, students, academics, and former cellmates issue joint statement protesting recent arrests in Mashhad Iran. Among the signatories of this statement is a wide range of well-known figures:

from artists and cultural activists such as Jafar Panahi, Taraneh Alidoosti, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Mohammad Rasoulof, Pantea Bahram, Pegah ahangarani, Sohila Golestani, Farzaneh Taheri, Shabnam Farshadjoo, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Mohsen Amiryoussefi, Fardin Khalatbari, Reza Dormishian, Maryam Palizban, Sepideh Farsi, Barbad Golshiri, and Hana Kamkar, to prominent journalists including Elaheh Mohammadi, Niloufar Hamedi, Mina Akbari, Nasim Soltanbeigi, and Lily Farhadpour.

Among the signatories of this statement is a wide range of well-known figures: from artists and cultural activists such as Jafar Panahi, Taraneh Alidoosti, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Mohammad Rasoulof, Pantea Bahram, Sohila Golestani, Farzaneh Taheri, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Mohsen Amiryoussefi, Fardin Khalatbari, Reza Dormishian, Maryam Palizban, Sepideh Farsi, Barbad Golshiri, Hana Kamkar, Shabnam Farshadjou, and Pegah Ahangarani, to prominent journalists including Elaheh Mohammadi, Niloufar Hamedi, Mina Akbari, Nasim Soltanbeigi, and Lily Farhadpour.

Among the signatories are also notable lawyers such as Abdolfattah Soltani, Amir Salar Davodi, and Dr. Mahmoud Behzadi. Families seeking justice, including Parasto Frouhar, Parisa Pouyandeh, Manzar Zarabi, Atash Shakeri, Shahnaz Akmali, and Monireh Baradaran; feminist and women’s rights activists such as Fatemeh Farhangkhah, Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan, Mansoureh Shojaei, and Shahrzad Mojab; as well as human rights defenders like Shiva Nazar-Ahari and Mahdieh Golrou, have also expressed their support.

Political figures including Nahid Taghavi, Mansoureh Behkish, Naser Mohajer, Sara Siahpour, Farhad Meisami, Parvaneh Salahshouri, Fakhri Mohtashami-Pour, Morteza Alviri, Mahdi Mahmoudian, Siamak Namazi, Abdollah Momeni, Reza Alijani, and Iman Vaghfi, along with student activists such as Fereshteh Toosi, university professors including Touraj Atabaki, Dr. Mohammad Reza Nikfar, Dr. Javad Emami, Dr. Abolfazl Shayan, and Dr. Mohammad Reza Resaei, as well as political prisoners like Saeed Madani, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Zartosht Ahmadi Ragheb, and Mohammad Najafi, are also listed among the signatories.

In addition, former cellmates such as Vida Rabbani, Bahareh Soleimani, Zhila Makvandi, Maryam Mohammadi, Raha Asgarizadeh, Samin Ehsani, and Noushin Jafari; families of martyrs including Asieh Bakri; veterans like Mohammad Bagher Bakhtiar; labor and teacher activists such as Zhila Modares Gorji, Mohammad Habibi, and Esmaeil Abdi; and environmental activists including Sepideh Kashani, Houman Jokar, and Niloufar Biani have also signed and supported this statement.Beyond a simple protest against one arrest, this statement is a rare sign of unity and shared purpose, cutting across the significant political and intellectual divisions currently fragmenting Iran.

For a list of signatories, and the full text in Farsi, go here.