14 Facts About Abdolfattah Soltani

Abdolfattah Soltani is an Iranian human rights lawyer and spokesman for the Defenders of Human Rights Center.

Abdolfattah Soltani co-founded the group with Mohammad Seifzadeh and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi.

Abdolfattah Soltani, who won the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award, in 2009, served time in prison in 2005 and 2009, and was sentenced to 18-year prison sentence in 2012.

Abdolfattah Soltani was incarcerated for political offences in 2005 and 2009.

Abdolfattah Soltani received an 18-year prison sentence in 2012 and was banned for an additional 20 years from practicing law.

Abdolfattah Soltani is a co-founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, an Iranian human rights organization, along with Mohammad Seifzadeh and future Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi.

On 25 July 2005, Abdolfattah Soltani criticized the fairness of the trial brought by Kazemi's family.

Abdolfattah Soltani was detained incommunicado at Evin prison, including two months in Section 209, which is reserved for political prisoners.

Abdolfattah Soltani appealed the decision and was acquitted on 28 May 2007 of all charges pending against him since July 2005.

On June 16, four days after the 2009 June election, Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested, his computers seized, and he was again taken to Evin prison.

Abdolfattah Soltani was held there for 72 days, 17 of which were in solitary confinement and was not allowed to shower for the first 15 days.

Abdolfattah Soltani received an 18-year prison sentence in 2012 and was banned for an additional 20 years from practicing law.

Abdolfattah Soltani's daughter stated the sentence was for "co-founding the Center for Human Rights Defenders, spreading anti-government propaganda, endangering national security and accepting an illegal prize [the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award]".

In October 2012, Abdolfattah Soltani was awarded the International Bar Association's Human Rights Award.