Human rights in Iran: Freedom of peaceful assembly, state violence & the death penalty

Protests erupted in Tehran in late December 2025, initially in response to sudden and significant inflation, and have since spread across the country, with many calling for an end to the current regime. The government of Iran has responded to the protests with brutal force, killing a shocking and unprecedented number of protesters while detaining tens of thousands across the country. Many detainees face expedited judicial proceedings under capital charges. Iranians have also been subjected to over 18 consecutive days of a complete internet blackout, which remains ongoing.

This webinar will discuss the current human rights situation in Iran, the human rights and international criminal law implications of the Iranian government’s crackdown, current death penalty cases against protesters, and the right of protesters to self-defence in the face of government violence.

Speakers

Saba Vasefi | Scholar & Journalist, The Guardian

Bahar Saba | Lawyer & Senior Iran and Kuwait Researcher, Human Rights Watch

Hossein Raeesi | Iranian Human Rights Lawyer; Adjunct Research Professor & Founder and Director, Youth and Justice Lab, Department of Law and Legal Studies, University of Carleton; Executive Director, Council of Jurists for a Democratic Iran

Omid Milani | Ph.D. in Law & Fellow, Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC), University of Ottawa

Moderator | Penelope Simons
Full Professor, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section & Director, Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC), University of Ottawa