Introduction Advisory
Library
Join Us
HRA Book
Video Reports
Our History
Introduction Advisory
Discover the Advisory Board of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), a team of esteemed experts guiding our strategic initiatives and international collaborations. Their expertise is crucial in our dedicated pursuit of human rights, especially in relation to Iranian society, media engagement, and cooperation with global organizations. In this section, you can explore the… Read more
Library
Explore our extensive free library, a valuable resource offered by the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI). This library features a wide range of books and publications in both Persian and English, designed to enhance your understanding of human rights. Here, you’ll find in-depth materials that provide first-hand insights into the human rights situation in… Read more
Join Us
Join our mission at the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), a non-governmental organization powered by a vast network of dedicated volunteers. We firmly believe in the power of collective action to enhance human rights conditions. Your valuable cooperation and participation are the keystones that enable us to make significant strides in improving human rights.… Read more
HRA Book
Discover the journey of Iran’s modern civil society through our story at the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI). Our rich history, filled with challenges and achievements, offers invaluable insights for those involved in human rights, in Iran and beyond. We’ve encapsulated this wealth of experience in a book about our organization, providing a detailed… Read more
Video Reports
Our Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) channel features powerful video reports that bring the reality of human rights violations into sharp focus. These videos connect viewers directly with the experiences of victims, often depicting challenging yet crucial stories. Through these visual narratives, we aim to share the pain and resilience of those affected and… Read more
Our History
Understanding the history of an organization is key to appreciating its identity and mission. At the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), we pride ourselves on a rich and dynamic history, marked by various challenges and triumphs. This section offers you a concise yet informative overview of our organization’s journey. Here, you can explore the… Read more
Peace Mark Magazine: Launched as an e-publication in 2009 and in print since 2011, it’s Iran’s first human rights publication, offering news, analysis, and education.
Spreading Justice: Started in 2019, it’s Iran’s extensive database on human rights violators, updated daily and supported by legal experts.
HRA Official Site: The main source for Human Rights Activists’ statements and news, available in two languages and detailing various sites and operations.
HRANA News Agency: Iran’s premier 24/7 human rights news agency, providing exclusive reports and facilitating easy user access through its structured websites.
Fourth Pillar Committee: Defends information freedom as a democracy pillar, fighting censorship and offering resources like VPNs to ensure internet freedom in Iran.
HRA Study Center: A subsidiary of HRANA, it serves as a digital library for human rights education, sourcing from HRA and other educational materials.
Statistics And Documents Center: Established in late 2010, it collects, analyzes, and archives human rights reports in Iran, sharing findings with activists and institutions.
Kardanan Initiative: Created in 2019 by HRA to offer legal and educational support on labor rights, becoming a comprehensive resource for labor-related queries.
PDP Initiative: Launched in 2023 by HRA to investigate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ role in human rights violations, providing research resources in two languages.
Brian Currin
He is a South African lawyer who was instrumental in the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He practiced law in Pretoria from 1977 to 1987, specializing in labour law and civil and human rights, and now works in mediation and institutional transformation. In 1994 he was appointed by South African President Nelson Mandela to chair a Prison Audit Committee and was subsequently involved in the creation of the… Read more
Dr. Sima Samar
She is a well known women’s and human rights advocate, activist and a social worker within national and international forums, who served as Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan from December 2001 to 2003. She is currently the Chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and, since 2005, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan. In 2011, she was part of the newly… Read more
Farhad Sabetan
Teaches Economics at California State University, East Bay for the past seven years and has been a research economist in the private and public sectors for more than 15 years. He is currently a spokesperson for Bahá’í International Community, United Nations, and has been involved in the human rights field in the past thirteen years. Read more
Ali Alyami
He is a native of Saudi Arabia. He has lived in the United States for many years and has been an avid advocate for political reforms in Saudi Arabia most of his life. He holds a Ph.D. in Government from the Claremont Graduate University in Southern California, and a Master’s Degree from California State University in Los Angeles. Ph. D. doctoral theses: The Impact of Modernization on the Stability of… Read more
Şanar Yurdatapan
He was born in Susurluk, Turkey in 1941. He became well-known as a composer and song-writer during the 1970s. In addition to his contribution to popular and traditional music, Şanar has written music for films and plays. He composed the music for the film “Arkadaş” (Friend) which brought him the Golden Orange Award at the Antalya Film Festival. In 1979, he became the General Secretary of the DEMAR (Democratic Artists… Read more
Joanne Michele
She is Iran Specialist in Safe World for Women organization. “I believe that meaningful change to further human rights must be brought about in the capitals of our nations. I am involved in women’s rights issues in the Middle East – specifically Iran – with Safeworld. My goal is to empower women around the world so not only will they prosper, but so society as a whole might finally become… Read more
Christina M. Storm
Christina Storm is an American lawyer who founded the international Lawyers Without Borders. She practiced law as a trial lawyer in Connecticut from 1978 through 2008 with focus on mediation, criminal law, employment discrimination and matrimonial law. After founding Lawyers Without Borders in 2000, she led it through 2019. Her work in international rule of law has included leading programs in East and West Africa, the Middle East and the… Read more
Tahir Elçi
He was the head of Lawyers Center in Diyarbakir in Turkey. As a lawyer, he had represented many significant cases of aggrieved plaintiffs in Turkey and in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). He was born in 1966 and graduated in 1991 in the human rights field. Tahir Elci studied at the Academy of European Law in Germany. He had held presentations at many conferences and seminars regarding human… Read more
Michael Cromartie
He was Vice President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he directed both the Evangelicals in Civic Life and Faith Angle Forum programs. His area of expertise included issues at the cross-section of religion and politics. Mr. Cromartie had contributed book reviews and articles to many prominent publications, including First Things, the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and World magazine. Mr. Cromartie also appeared on numerous radio and television… Read more
Shadi Sadr, a lawyer, is the founder and an executive director of Justice for Iran (JFI). Sadr, who is a member of Volunteer Lawyers Network, has won at least six prestigious awards for her human rights activism. On the 10th anniversary of the Human Rights Activists (HRA), we asked Sadr about the structural differences that led to a perpetual existence of the human rights organization and its continuous activism. She noted that the 10-years survival… Read more
Elahe Sharifpour-Hicks has been defending human rights for more than two decades. She was the Iran researcher for Human Rights Watch from 1994 to 2001 and is currently the manager of Human Rights and Planning at New York. On the tenth anniversary of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), Sharifpour-Hicks tells Peace Mark Monthly: “The most positive feature of HRA is distancing itself from politics.” And regarding the permanence of HRA, she adds: “The… Read more
Mehrangiz Kar is a lawyer, writer and a journalist focused on human rights and the spread of democracy. Kar has won at least eight internationally recognized human rights awards and works at Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women at Brown University. On the tenth anniversary of Human Right Activists, (HRA), Peace Mark Monthly asked Ms. Kar’s opinion on HRA’s performance and effectiveness regarding the growth of the civil society of Iran. While emphasizing… Read more
Dr. Lahiji has been devoted to human rights activism for more than five decades. Two years prior to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, in order to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lahiji founded the Iranian Law Association and Iranian Association for Freedom and Human Rights. After the 1979 Revolution, he was one of the first to condemn the executions and other forms of human rights violations committed by the new regime. In the… Read more
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Human Rights Activists, (HRA), Peace Mark Monthly asked Dr. Hadi Ghaemi, the director of International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, (ICHRI), about the work and contributions of HRA. Ghaemi: “In my opinion, the greatest feature of HRA that has led to the continuation of its activism is being informed and reporting from inside of Iranian prisons. In addition, HRA has been able to follow up,… Read more
The complexity of social relations and the diversity of social and individual needs have long fueled the reality that society would not be able to fulfill all its needs, pass all its barriers and problems and earn the public trust without the existence of civil society institutes. The necessity of social institutions has been emphasized by philosophers such as Hegel (1770-1831). Hegel believed “Family and civil society are the two pillars of the idealistic and… Read more
It was May Day, the first of May, International Workers’ Day. I was there to report on the rally of the workers of the Syndicate of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (SWTSBC). It was about noon, and the crowd kept growing; citizens, workers’ families, and students. A young, bearded man with long hair took pictures and videos in the middle of the crowd. While some people were joining and others leaving, the riot police arrived… Read more
It is no secret that, after the Revolution, the civil rights of the Baha’is in Iran have been constantly violated. These violations have clearly attracted the attention of the international community and the civil society of Iran as a great portion of the reports on the violation of human rights in Iran includes those of the Baha’is’ rights. However, this focus and attention has not always been the same and has increased during various decades… Read more
In August 1980, all nine members of the First National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Iran and two of their colleagues were arrested and taken to a secret location by undercover agents where they were executed. There was no news published or broadcast about the arrests, harassment or subsequent execution of the Baha’i community manager. Credible and verified news was leaked and the details of the events remained veiled and hidden in the security… Read more
“I believe that everything has a price. Freedom and democracy are also precious, and a nation will remain in bondage if it fails to pay the price. The question is what we can do to lower the costs of this price for people. First, the information must be provided correctly and accurately as much as possible. Second, it should be done in a way that won’t hurt ordinary people and third, the offered tactics should… Read more
The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty unites over 160 organizations worldwide to advocate for the universal abolition of the death penalty.
The KeepItOn coalition, comprising over 300 organizations from 105 countries, combats internet shutdowns through advocacy, policy engagement, technical support, and legal action.
Toosheh is an innovative project that allows Iranian users free access to internet content via satellite, without needing a subscription.
CIVICUS is a global network dedicated to enhancing citizen action and civil society across more than 175 countries.
The OMCT collaborates with 200 member organizations to end torture and ill-treatment, support victims, and protect human rights defenders at risk, regardless of their location.
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) has members in 150 countries, working to achieve global justice for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
INTRODUCING
BOOK
‘Human Rights Activists in Iran: History, Obstacles, Achievements’
provides a compelling overview of the struggles and triumphs of human rights advocacy within Iran. This book captures the essence of grassroots activism against a backdrop of adversity, including severe repression and the sacrifices of activists who faced imprisonment and exile. It highlights the organization’s foundational principles such as youth leadership, social engagement within the country, and a commitment to non-discrimination. These themes are woven through personal narratives and reflections that underscore the resilience and dedication of those fighting for justice. Aimed at inspiring future generations, this publication is a testament to the power of perseverance and the enduring spirit of human rights activism.”
