Mahsa Amini's Lawyer on Trial for "Propaganda"

Saleh Nikbakht, a prominent lawyer who represents the family of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in custody last year, is to face trial on charges of "propaganda activity" against the Islamic Republic. 

The trial is scheduled for August 29 at Branch 28 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, according to Kurdistan Human Rights Network. 

The charges against Nikbakht stem from his participation in interviews with both domestic and foreign media outlets, in which he criticized the government's handling of Amini’s death and its aftermath.

He has also been questioned for criticizing the findings of a forensic commission about Amini's death.

The Ministry of Intelligence, which is the plaintiff in the case, alleges that Nikbakht has been "motivating" the Amini family to pursue justice for their daughter's death. 

The September 2022 death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked a wave of nationwide anger. She had been arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly.

The nationwide protest movement appears to have waned in recent months following a bloody crackdown by security forces.

More than 500 people have been killed in the clampdown and over 20,000 have been unlawfully detained, activists say.

Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.