Iranian American Rights Project
Iranian American Rights Project For far too long, Iranian Americans have been subject to alienation and discriminatory policies here at home in the United States – from persistent negative portrayals of Iranians in American popular culture, to bigoted statements about us from our elected officials, to laws that unjustly target Iranian Americans because of our […]
Iranian Political Prisoner Sasan Niknafs Dies in Custody
Less than four months after the tragic death of Iranian prisoner of conscience Behnam Mahjoubi, another political prisoner has died in the custody of Iranian prison authorities from maltreatment and lack of access to proper medical treatment. Like Mahjoubi, who suffered from a serious panic disorder that required daily medication, Sasan Niknafs needed suitable medical attention for his serious health issues, including epilepsy, diabetes, and depression.
French Citizen Charged with Spying in Iran
Thirty-five-year-old French citizen, Benjamin Brière, was arrested in Iran in May of 2020 for allegedly flying a drone and taking photos in a restricted area near an Iranian border. Brière is now facing charges of espionage and “propaganda against the system” in an Iranian court.
Narges Mohammadi Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison
As an outspoken advocate for Iranian human rights, Mohammadi has led the charge to abolish the death penalty, and continued her human rights work from prison, writing about solitary confinement, abusive treatment, and poor conditions prisoners in Iran must endure. Even after her release from prison in October of 2020 and the intimidation tactics of Iranian authorities—like not allowing her to leave the country to visit her children—Mohammadi voices the protests of many other prisoners of conscience and her fellow countrymen.
Olivia Abtahi’s Perfectly Parvin
In her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, author Olivia Abtahi tells the story of 14-year-old Parvin Mohammadi, a second-generation Iranian American who navigates the trials of adolescence with the added complexity of growing up with different cultures. Growing up in the U.S. with an Iranian father and an Argentine mother, Abtahi herself is a reflection of the increasingly diverse Iranian diaspora. A filmmaker and writer, Abtahi weaves together a story that is not only fun to read, but is also a moving coming of age story fit for our times.
Saba Kord Afshari Goes on Hunger Strike in Prison
Only 22-years old, Kord Afshari continues to resist the intimidation tactics of Iranian authorities. Rather than surrendering to silence, the young activist began a hunger strike on May 8th to protest her mother’s detention. Iranian authorities must heed their people’s rightful calls for greater freedom, and abide by their human rights obligations. While Iranian women continue to fight for their equality, Ahmadi was right to say her daughter has become a voice for human rights in Iran.
The Violence of Homophobia and Tragedy of Alireza Fazeli Monfared
Alireza Fazeli Monfared was only 20-years old and just beginning his adult life. Any life taken so violently is appalling, but the case of Alireza is tragic for so many reasons. That he died at the hands of his own family members, in a country that criminalizes him instead of protecting him, that he died so young, but most of all because he was killed for nothing more than being himself. Being gay is not a crime, it is a sickness or reason to feel ashamed. With Pride around the corner, the case of Alireza reminds us of the continued struggle for LGBTQ+ rights around the world. We must continue the fight not for tolerance, but for acceptance, and support our LGBTQ+ community so that they may live with the freedom and pride they deserve.
NIAC Statement on Continued Vienna Talks
This is a favorable time to reseal the deal on the JCPOA. We call on the parties to close the gaps that have narrowed in subsequent rounds of talks in Vienna and agree to a process that brings the U.S. and Iran back into full compliance with the original bargain.
NIAC Continues to Engage PayPal and Venmo on Community’s Concerns with Account Freezes
The pervasive effect of sanctions is evident in everyday life for Iranian Americans. Stories of account freezes and bank account closures for Iranian Americans have proven all too common. One of the financial institutions responsible for many of the complaints from our members is Venmo, which routinely reviews transactions involving words with connections to sanctioned states. It is often a painful reminder of how our community has been vilified in the United States that simply using certain words associated with Iran in a transaction description could be flagged for further review or cause accounts to be frozen.
Iranian Prisoner of Conscience Arash Sadeghi Released
On May 1st, welcome news was reported of Arash Sadeghi’s release from prison in Iran, after serving nearly six years as a prisoner of conscience. Sadeghi is a well-known young activist in Iran who was arrested in 2016 on spurious charges such as “collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the state,” which fits a disturbing pattern of repression by Iranian authorities against activists.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Sentenced to Another Year in Iranian Jail
The worst cruelty that Zaghari-Ratcliffe has suffered is missing her daughter grow up, a loss that can never be reconciled. Her mother-in-law, Barbara Ratcliffe, was able to speak to her briefly after news of her new sentence, and though she said Nazanin was staying composed, Ratcliffe best summed up the depth of her loss: “She’s missed five oh her daughter’s six birthdays. And she was so hoping to get back for this seventh one, that’s not gonna happen is it? I think that devastated her more than anything today.”
Kylie Moore-Gilbert Shares Her Story of Iranian Prison
This week, Moore-Gilbert wrote a moving piece about her experiences in the Iranian judicial system—which is notorious for violating the rights and due process that should be inherent to any system that claims to be just—and her time in prison. Since her release, Moore-Gilbert has become a vocal advocate for political prisoners in Iran, as well as for dual and foreign nationals that languish in their cells often as a consequence of political games. It should be no surprise then that Moore-Gilbert focused much of her piece on the “heroes [she] met fighting Iran’s brutal prison system.”