Mohammad Najafi (; born 22 March 1975) is an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist, and political prisoner. He has been repeatedly detained and sentenced to long prison terms by the Iranian security forces due to his involvement in human rights cases, such as the case of Vahid Heydari, a protester who died under suspicious circumstances in a detention center in Arak during the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. A vocal critic of the Iranian government, Najafi has been sentenced to over 14 years in prison on charges including "insulting the Supreme Leader", "spreading lies", and "propaganda against the regime".
During his imprisonment, Najafi has gone on hunger strikes several times, and due to his deteriorating health, human rights organizations and Iranian lawyers have repeatedly raised concerns about his condition.
Early life and career.
Mohammad Najafi was an attorney in Shazand, Iran. He became well known for his voluntary defense of political detainees, his investigation into cases related to the deaths of protesters, and his interviews with international media. His outspoken criticism of the suppression of protesters in Iran led to multiple arrests and threats. Since 2017, he has faced nine judicial orders.
Arrests and sentences.
Initial arrests.
Najafi's first arrest took place on 9 February 2017, while he was filming a protest by workers at the HEPCO factory in Arak.
On 16 January 2018, after pursuing the case of Vahid Haydari, a protester who died in detention during the December 2017 protests, Najafi was arrested again.
Hunger strikes and protests in prison.
Najafi has gone on several hunger strikes during his imprisonment:
Health issues and denial of treatment.
During his imprisonment, Mohammad Najafi has faced serious health issues, yet authorities have repeatedly prevented his transfer to hospitals:
Efforts to revoke his law license.
On 3 September 2023, the Iranian judiciary attempted to revoke Mohammad Najafi’s law license. This move was met with widespread protests from Iranian lawyers.
Reactions and support.
Human rights activists and international organizations have repeatedly protested the situation of Mohammad Najafi:
Awards.
European Bar Associations Award for Human Rights.
On 28 November 2019 (7 Azar 1398), the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe awarded their Human Rights Prize to four Iranian lawyers, including Mohammad Najafi and Nasrin Sotoudeh. Three of these four lawyers, including Mohammad Najafi, were in prison at the time of receiving the award for defending political prisoners.
Iranian Defenders of Human Rights Award.
Defenders of Human Rights Center awarded the "Human Rights Advocate" prize in 2019 to Mohammad Najafi, the imprisoned lawyer and human rights activist. Mohammad Seifzadeh, Abdolfattah Soltani, and Masoumeh Dehghan, representatives of the association, attended his home in Arak and presented the award statue to Najafi’s family.