Majid Karimi
Majid Karimi is a Kurdish human rights defender, teacher, and long-standing member of the Board of Directors of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Trade Association in Sanandaj-Kalatrazan, Iran. With over 25 years of experience in public education and a master's degree in political science, he has played a key role in organising teacher advocacy efforts and defending the right to free and quality education in Kurdistan Province.
In May 2022, he was arrested by security forces during a wave of detentions targeting teachers’ rights activists and held at the Intelligence Office in Sanandaj before being transferred to prison. In April 2024, Majid Karimi was sentenced to three months in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state,” though this sentence was subsequently commuted to a monetary fine and the human rights defender was acquitted of the charge after appeal.
In August 2025, the Ministry of Education’s Appeals Board upheld a permanent dismissal order, stripping him of his teaching job, and any other civil service benefits, including his pension and social security benefits.
Hope for political reform in Iran surfaced when President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in 2013 and dozens of opposition political figures and human rights defenders were released. However, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and movement of HRDs continue to be prevalent.
Human rights defenders and journalists are arrested, detained and prosecuted in unfair trials. HRDs continue to receive death threats and are subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention. They are refused bail or receive extreme bail conditions. HRDs are additionally subjected to systematic surveillance and their family members are targeted. Journalists have been subjected to flogging for criticising the government.
