Motahareh Gounei
Motahareh Gounei is a woman human rights defender, student activist, and the former secretary of the Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran. She began her professional union work within the Islamic Student Association of the Faculty of Dentistry in 2019. She has been arrested on several occasions, including in May 2024 for her protest against the death penalty.
Hope for political reform in Iran surfaced when President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in 2013 and dozens of opposition political figures and human rights defenders were released. However, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and movement of HRDs continue to be prevalent.
Human rights defenders and journalists are arrested, detained and prosecuted in unfair trials. HRDs continue to receive death threats and are subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention. They are refused bail or receive extreme bail conditions. HRDs are additionally subjected to systematic surveillance and their family members are targeted. Journalists have been subjected to flogging for criticising the government.
