A/HRC/28/70 welcomed the Supreme Court decision and echoed the hope of dozens of Nobel Laureates, expressed in an open letter dated September 2014, advocating for Mr. Kokabee’s immediate and unconditional release. In December 2014, 161 Iranian academics also signed a petition calling for urgent medical attention and judicial review of Mr. Kokabee’s case. In January 2015, Branch 54 of the Tehran Appeals Court re-confirmed his original sentence, disregarding the Supreme Court’s prior ruling, and, according to Mr. Kokabee’s lawyer, contravening established procedures regarding cases, overturned by the Supreme Court. Advocates for Mr. Kokabee claim that his detention is based, partially on his refusal to work for an organization within the Iranian security apparatus. 34. In February 2015, Azerbaijani rights activist Mr. Ali Reza’i was arrested. At the time of this writing, his whereabouts or charges — if any — were unknown.31 D. Independence of lawyers 35. In October 2010, human rights defender and cofounder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), Mr. Mohammad Seifzadeh was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to nine years in prison and banned him from practicing law for ten years for “acting against national security through establishing the Defenders of Human Rights Center.” Mr. Seifzadeh was also reportedly arrested in April 2011 in Urmia (West Azerbaijan Province) for allegedly attempting to exit the country illegally, apparently leading to a second case against him. It was reported that an Appeals Court eventually reduced his 2010 sentence from nine-years to two-years. Mr. Seifzadeh served his two-year sentence until 25 March 201332 where prior to the completion of his sentence, a third case was brought against him. In March 2013, Mr. Seifzadeh was charged with “assembly and collusion against the system” for reportedly “writing critical letters to former President Khatami and for signing several group statements while in prison.” It is claimed that his letter included allegations of rights violations within the judicial system. The additional six-year sentence was reportedly confirmed in October 2013. On 8 January 2015, Ms. Fatemeh Golzar, Mr. Seifzadeh’s wife, reported that he is in need of urgent medical care. Physicians at the Rajae’i Shahr Prison Infirmary have reportedly confirmed that he requires an ultrasound to investigate complaints of kidney pain. To date he has not been granted access to appropriate medical treatment. 36. On 6 August 2014, it was reported that Mr. Massoud Shafiee, a human rights lawyer who represented three American hikers that were detained in Iran in 2009 on charges of “espionage” and “illegal entry” into the country, currently faces a foreign travel ban and pressure by authorities. Six days after the release of two of the hikers on 21 September 2011, security forces conducted a search of Mr. Shafiee’s home and detained him in Evin Prison where he was allegedly interrogated for several hours regarding representation of the hikers and another case involving union activists Mr. Reza Shahabi and Mr. Rasoul Bodaghi. Mr. Shafiee reportedly attempted to leave the country the following week. His passport was allegedly confiscated at the airport and he was informed of a foreign travel ban placed against him. His potential clients also reportedly face pressure by authorities to cancel agreements retaining him as their attorney.33 37. On 18 October 2014, Branch 2 of the Lawyers’ Disciplinary Court at the Iranian Bar Association, allegedly under pressure from Intelligence agencies, banned Ms. Nasrin Sotoudeh from practicing law for three years. Ms. Sotoudeh began an indefinite sit-in on 31 32 33 https://hra-news.org/en/information-ali-rezaei-20-days-detention. http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2013/04/seifzadeh_reversal/. http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2014/08/shafiee/. 31