A lawyer who has defended several Christians in Iran’s Revolutionary Courts has been arrested in Tehran.

Shima Ghosheh, who has represented Christians including the Iranian-Assyrian Bet-Tamraz family and converts facing charges of “apostasy”, was arrested at her home on Friday, 16 January, and taken to an unknown location.

Ms Ghosheh, who is also a prominent women’s rights activist, has previously faced charges related to her work. 

No further details are yet known about her arrest, as it remains difficult to obtain information from inside Iran, where an Internet blackout remains in place nearly two weeks after it was instigated in the wake of unprecedented demonstrations against the Islamic Republic.

The UN Human Rights Council is due to hold a special session on Iran this coming Friday, 23 January, to discuss the current situation, following calls by rights groups including Article18.

In a statement last week, we said: “There must be no impunity for those responsible for crimes against the Iranian people; perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice through appropriate international mechanisms.

“For far too long, Western governments have tiptoed around this issue, prioritising diplomatic convenience and resource dependency. Meanwhile, the regime’s behaviour has steadily worsened. The time has come for a decisive change in policy. There can be no return to ‘business as usual’ with this regime.”