Human rights defender Ms Narges Muhammadi was sentenced to 11 years in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court on 27 September 2011. She was falsely convicted of a number of offences including the spreading of propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, supporting the families of political prisoners, and conspiring against national security. Narges Muhammadi is the deputy director of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC), and founder and director of the National Peace Council.

Issued on 27 September 2011, the court verdict document lists almost all of Narges Muhammadi's human rights related work as "crimes". These include, for example, forming the National Peace Council; establishing the Committee for Free, Sound and Fair Elections; reporting human rights violations in Iran; and contacting Iranian human rights defender and Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi. All of these charges were interpreted by the Iranian authorities as amounting to an attempt to overthrow the Islamic government of Iran and the spreading of lies against the system.

The trial of Narges Muhammadi took place in July 2011.

Narges Muhammadi described her sentencing in an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran as “an unfair ruling for a human rights activist.” She went on to say that “It is a shame that human rights activities should be interpreted as plotting for the overthrow of the regime.” Narges Muhammadi is preparing an appeal against the ruling with her lawyer.

In the past years, Narges Muhammadi has been arrested on numerous occasions. She was arrested from her home along with her husband on 9 February 2010. She was again detained in May 2010 and brought to Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court in relation to her involvement with DHRC, before being released on bail. Shortly after her release she was re-arrested. While in detention in 2010, Narges Muhammadi contracted a neurological disease which required prolonged treatment.

In November 2009 the authorities dismissed Narges Muhammadi from her job at the Iranian Engineering Inspection company and she was subsequently detained and twice presented before a court before being released. This was apparently part of the authorities campaign of judicial harassment against her and came about despite the fact that DHRC was established in 2000 after obtaining a license from the Ministry of Interior and in accordance with the provisions of the Iranian constitution relating to the formation of societies and associations.

Front Line believes that the unfair trial and sentencing of Narges Muhammadi is directly related to her legitimate work in the defence of human rights in Iran. Front Line sees this as part of an ongoing campaign of persecution of Iranian human rights defenders in an attempt to silence them.

Front Line urges the Iranian authorities to:

1. Immediately overturn the sentence of human rights defender Narges Muhammadi as Front Line believes that she has been targeted solely as a result of her legitimate human rights work;
   
   
2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Narges Muhammadi, permitting her to carry out her legitimate human rights work
   
   
3. Immediately reinstate her to her position at the Iranian Engineering Inspection company;
   
   
4. Lift all restrictions imposed on human rights organisations in the country and allow them to continue their legitimate and peaceful human rights work;
   
   
5. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Iran, in particular women human rights defenders, are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all undue restrictions, including malicious prosecutions and judicial harassment.

For actions see: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/16083/action