Iran Detains a Lawyer Who Criticized 2022 Crackdown Following Mahsa Amini's Death

Iranian lawyer Mohsen Borhani speaks during a campaign rally of the reformist candidate for the presidential election Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iranian lawyer Mohsen Borhani speaks during a campaign rally of the reformist candidate for the presidential election Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Iran Detains a Lawyer Who Criticized 2022 Crackdown Following Mahsa Amini's Death

Iranian lawyer Mohsen Borhani speaks during a campaign rally of the reformist candidate for the presidential election Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iranian lawyer Mohsen Borhani speaks during a campaign rally of the reformist candidate for the presidential election Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An outspoken Iranian lawyer who has publicly criticized how the government handled the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini has been arrested, state media reported Sunday.
The unrest followed the death of the 22-year-old detained by the police for allegedly not properly wearing her mandatory headscarf. The massive protests quickly escalated into calls to overthrow Iran’s four-decade theocracy, The Associated Press said.
The judiciary’s Mizan news agency said Sunday that Mohsen Borhani had been previously sentenced but did not give further details on his case or jail time.
Borhani, also a university professor, became popular on social media for his critical views of the Iranian government during the 2022 demonstrations that shook Iran and sparked a security crackdown that killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained. UN investigators said Iran was responsible for the physical violence that led to Amini's death.
The lawyer's arrest came a day after reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was elected to lead the country.
Pezeshkian promised to reach out to the West after years of sanctions and protests squeezing his country.



Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
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Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington on Monday, the State Department said.

Dermer updated Blinken on operational changes and policy decisions taken by Israel in response to a US letter sent in October, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Blinken "emphasized the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through the delivery of additional assistance to civilians throughout Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement.