A group of 130 South Azerbaijani lawyers has written an open letter to the Head of Iran’s Judiciary, demanding the immediate release of South Azerbaijani lawyer Mohammad Reza Fegihi, who is imprisoned in Evin Prison.

Fegihi was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “collusion against national security” for merely attending a peaceful professional gathering in front of the Tehran Bar Association in October 2022. Despite the Supreme Court twice ordering a suspension of his sentence, lower courts have refused to comply.

The lawyers argue that the case reflects serious violations of judicial independence and citizens’ rights, criticizing the arbitrary use of national security laws to suppress peaceful expression. They called on the judiciary to intervene and release Fegihi, emphasizing that this case tests the credibility of Iran’s justice system.

Fekihi, from Ardabil. South Azerbaijan has been imprisoned since February 2025 without leave and is also subject to a two-year ban on practicing law and traveling abroad. His case has become a symbol of resistance against the politicization of Iran’s judiciary and ethnic discrimination toward Azerbaijani Turks.