Hashem Khastar
Hashem Khastar is a human rights defender, retired teacher and agricultural engineer. He is also a long-time member of the board of the Mashhad’s Coordination Council of Teachers’ Trade Association (CCTTA), and an advocate for civil, political and teachers’s rights including fair wages and democratic reform within Iran’s education sector. In 2025, the human rights defender began his seventh year of arbitrary detention in Ward 1/6 of Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad.
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.
