A/HRC/25/61 A. Human rights defenders 33. Of the 92 human rights defenders currently reportedly detained (see table 1 below), at least 26 were charged with “membership in organizations that aim to disrupt national security” or “relations or collaboration with organizations that aim to disrupt national security” (both charges relate to article 499 of the Penal Code). At least 25 were charged with “propaganda against the system”, and at least 14 were charged with “assembly and collusion against national security”. Other charges less frequently laid against these individuals include espionage and moharebeh (commonly translated as “enmity against God”, but translated by the Government as a crime in which “a person brandishes or points a weapon at members of the public to kill, frighten and coerce them”).24 Since 2010, the coordinated mass arrest of human rights defenders has served to effectively dismantle the most important Iranian human right organizations, including the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (founded by Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi) and Human Rights Activists in Iran.25 Table 1. Human rights defenders currently detained, by category Ethnic Rights 51 30 Labour Rights Human Rights Generally Lawyers 10 6 Women’s Rights 2 0 B. 10 20 30 40 50 60 Journalists and netizens 34. Of 39 bloggers and journalists currently detained in the Islamic Republic of Iran (including the recent arrest of seven computer technology workers),26 at least 12 were charged with “assembly and collusion”, 10 with “propaganda against the system” and at least six with “insulting the Supreme Leader”.27 The number of persons concerned in each case is probably higher owing to the unknown circumstances surrounding the cases against some journalists and bloggers currently detained. 24 25 26 27 See United for Iran, “Political Prisoners in Iran”, available from http://united4iran.org/politicalprisoners-database/search/. Human Rights Watch, “Iran: New Coordinated Attack on Human Rights Groups”, 24 March 2010, available from www.hrw.org/news/2010/03/24/iran-new-coordinated-attack-human-rights-groups. Elana Beiser, “Second worst year on record for jailed journalists”, Committee to Protect Journalists, 18 December 2013, available from http://cpj.org/reports/2013/12/second-worst-year-on-record-forjailed-journalists.php. “Political Prisoners in Iran,” United for Iran, URL. 9