In recent news from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, an Iranian lawyer known for his outspoken criticism of the government's handling of the 2022 protests has been arrested, as reported by state media on Sunday.
The protests erupted following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died while in police custody for allegedly not adhering to the mandatory hijab rule. What began as demonstrations over Amini's death quickly transformed into widespread calls to overthrow Iran's long-standing Islamic theocracy.
The judiciary's Mizan news agency disclosed that the lawyer, Mohsen Borhani, had received a prior sentence, although specific details regarding his case and the duration of his imprisonment were not provided.
Borhani, who also serves as a university professor, gained significant attention on social media for his critical stance against the Iranian government during the 2022 protests that shook the nation and triggered a harsh security crackdown resulting in the deaths of more than 500 individuals and the detention of over 22,000 people. U.N. investigators attributed the physical violence leading to Amini's death to Iran.
The arrest of the lawyer occurred shortly after the election of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian has pledged to relax enforcement of Iran's compulsory headscarf law and to initiate efforts to mend relations with Western nations following years of sanctions and internal unrest challenging the Islamic Republic.
