A/HRC/40/67 farmer representatives were arrested when 200 farmers protested against water diversions to the Governorate of Kohgiluyeh va Boyer Ahmad Province.29 22. Consistent with the pattern of discrimination observed, minority groups have been affected. In July 2018, 80 persons from the Azerbaijani Turkish community were reportedly arrested before and during a cultural celebration at Babak Fort in East Azerbaijan Province. 30 Most were released amidst reports that those detained had been subjected to ill-treatment. In August, 40 persons from the community were temporarily detained during a gathering in Meshgin Shahr in Ardabil Province amidst reports of excessive force by security forces. Concerns have also been raised about the fate and whereabouts of eight Gonabadi dervishes who allegedly held a sit-in protest in August 2018 at the Great Tehran Penitentiary.31 In its comments, the Government stated that the aforementioned persons were imprisoned with access to telephone calls. 23. The Special Rapporteur is further troubled by the arrests of women protesting against compulsory veiling (the hijab). While most were released on bail, some were sentenced to up to two years in prison on the charge of “encouraging moral corruption”.32 Women who do not wear the hijab can be sentenced to up to two months in prison or fined, in violation of their right to take part in cultural life without discrimination. 33 D. Right to freedom of expression and opinion 24. The Special Rapporteur observes increasing limitations placed upon the rights to freedom of opinion and expression. In April 2018, popular social media website Telegram was banned for allegedly “disrupting national unity” and “allowing foreign countries to spy” on the Islamic Republic of Iran. 34 In November, the Government proposed a bill which introduced new offences associated with the use of banned online applications. 35 In its comments, the Government stated that active social networks such as Telegram “are obliged to register only with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance”. 25. The Special Rapporteur is further disturbed by the trend of human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, being arrested and imprisoned in connection with their activities, and the increasing numbers of arrests of lawyers and labour activists. 26. In June 2018, prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested. Hoda Amid, a lawyer who had represented women in vulnerable situations, was arrested in September and subsequently released on bail pending trial. 36 Lawyer Zeinab Taheri was arrested and later released on bail pending charges. 37 In one welcome development, human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani was released on conditional parole in November. 38 27. In November 2018, special procedure mandate holders raised concerns about the arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh, her husband Reza Khandan, and Farhad Meysami, following their advocacy in support of women’s rights. 39 Women’s rights defenders Najmeh Vahedi and Rezvaneh Mohammadi were arrested and then reportedly released on bail in November pending trial.40 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 6 See www.ilna.ir/fa/tiny/news-628251. See www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1388892018ENGLISH.PDF. See https://iranhumanrights.org/2018/10/great-tehran-penitentiary-imposes-information-blackout-oneight-sufi-detainees-held-in-solitary-confinement/. See https://bit.ly/2EV0xzs. A/72/155, para. 76. See https://rsf.org/en/news/iranian-court-imposes-total-ban-telegram. See www.isna.ir/news/97082813960/. See www.en-hrana.org/womens-rights-activist-hoda-amid-released-on-bail. See www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/release-on-bail-of-zeinab-taheri. See www.irna.ir/fa/News/83108418. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23947&LangID=E. See www.iranhumanrights.org/2018/09/three-detained-womens-rights-activists-should-beimmediately-released/.