IRAN: Arbitrary detention of lawyer and women’s rights defender Shima Ghoosheh
28 January 2026
The International Observatory of Lawyers at Risk (OIAD) expresses its grave concern over the arbitrary detention of lawyer and human rights defender Ms Shima Ghoosheh, a member of the Central Bar Association in Iran. Her detention occurs in the context of the ongoing nationwide uprising and the Iranian authorities’ intensified crackdown on lawyers, human rights defenders, and civil society actors, and constitutes a serious violation of international human rights standards.
Ms Ghoosheh, a lawyer specialising in women’s rights and human rights, was arrested on Saturday 27 Dey 1404 (17 January 2026) at her private residence in Tehran by security forces. She has since been placed in temporary detention.
Since her arrest, Ms Ghoosheh has been allowed only one brief phone call with her family, during which she informed them of her detention. No further communication has been permitted.
According to available information, Ms Ghoosheh is currently held in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a detention centre under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence, where acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment have been widely documented, including the use of prolonged solitary confinement, psychological pressure, denial of procedural guarantees, sexual violence, and cases of summary executions of detainees[1]. In this context, the Observatory expresses serious concern about her health and the conditions of detention to which she may be subjected.
To date, no formal charges have been communicated, nor have the authorities disclosed the legal basis or reasons for her arrest. She has reportedly been denied effective access to a lawyer of her choice and to regular contact with her family. Such conditions amount to enforced isolation and violate fundamental guarantees of due process.
The Observatory recalls that arbitrary detention, prolonged solitary confinement, and denial of access to legal counsel constitute violations of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a State Party, in particular Articles 9 and 14.
Ms Ghoosheh is known for her professional commitment to the defence of women’s rights and human rights, including representing individuals targeted for their peaceful activism. The Observatory is deeply concerned that her arrest appears to be directly linked to her legitimate professional activities as a lawyer, and forms part of a broader pattern of repression against independent lawyers amid the current protests and state-led crackdown.
In recent months, Iranian authorities have increasingly targeted lawyers who defend protesters, women’s rights advocates, and human rights defenders, subjecting them to arbitrary arrests, vague national security charges, and detention in intelligence-controlled facilities. These practices, aimed at silencing legal defence and obstructing effective access to justice, are not a new phenomenon, as documented in the recent report No Defence: The Status of Lawyers and the Bar Associations in Iran.
The Observatory strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Ms Shima Ghoosheh and the authorities’ failure to disclose the charges against her or provide minimum legal safeguards.
The Observatory recalls Article 16 of UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Havana Principles) and calls on the Iranian authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Ms Shima Ghoosheh and cease all forms of harassment against her.
- Immediately disclose the legal basis for her arrest and any charges brought against her, if any.
- Guarantee her physical and psychological integrity and end her solitary confinement.
- Ensure her immediate and confidential access to a lawyer of her choice and allow regular communication with her family.
- Ensure that any legal proceedings strictly comply with international fair trial standards and the presumption of innocence.
- Put an end to the intimidation, criminalisation, and persecution of lawyers and human rights defenders, and guarantee that they can carry out their professional duties without fear of reprisals.
The Observatory calls on the international community to:
- Urgently raise Ms Ghoosheh’s case with the Iranian authorities.
- Closely monitor her situation and publicly condemn reprisals against lawyers and women’s rights defenders in Iran.
- Ensure protection and solidarity for Iranian lawyers and human rights defenders at risk.
[1] Amnesty International. (2022, 18 October). Iran: Tortured prisoners at Evin prison are in urgent need of international protection: https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/MDE1361292022ENGLISH.pdf
