Abdolfattah Soltani

In October 2012, Soltani was awarded the International Bar Association's Human Rights Award. Because Soltani was imprisoned, his daughter Maede Soltani received it on his behalf.

Soltani was arrested again 10 September 2011 while preparing to defend a group of Baha'i defendants. He received an 18-year prison sentence in 2012 and was banned for an additional 20 years from practicing law. His daughter stated the sentence was for "co-founding the Center for Human Rights Defenders, spreading anti-government propaganda, endangering national security and accepting an illegal prize [the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award]". Amnesty International designated him a prisoner of conscience, "held solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association, including his work as a defence lawyer and in the Centre".

On June 16, four days after the 2009 June election, Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested, his computers seized, and he was again taken to Evin prison. There was no arrest warrant, and no reasons for the arrest were stated. He was held there for 72 days, 17 of which were in solitary confinement and was not allowed to shower for the first 15 days. He lost 15 pounds while in prison.

On 16 July 2006, he was informed that the Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to five years' imprisonment and the loss of his civic rights for "non-respect of the confidentiality of the preliminary enquiry" in the Kazemi case. He appealed the decision and was acquitted on 28 May 2007 of all charges pending against him since July 2005. However, his identity papers were confiscated, preventing him from traveling.

Soltani was incarcerated for political offences in 2005 and 2009. He received an 18-year prison sentence in 2012 and was banned for an additional 20 years from practicing law. Amnesty International designated him a prisoner of conscience and called him "one of the bravest human rights defenders in Iran".

On 25 July 2005, Soltani criticized the fairness of the trial brought by Kazemi's family. Two days later, a Tehran prosecutor issued a warrant to search Soltani's home and office. The prosecutor then charged him with espionage. On 30 July, while participating in a sit-in to protest the charge, Soltani was arrested. He was detained incommunicado at Evin prison, including two months in Section 209, which is reserved for political prisoners. On 6 March 2006, he was released on bail of 100,000 euros.

Soltani is a co-founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, an Iranian human rights organization, along with Mohammad Seifzadeh and future Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi. Along with Ebadi and Seifzadeh, Soltani served as a lawyer for the family of slain Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who was allegedly tortured and murdered in Evin Prison in July 2003. Soltani, along with Seifzadeh, Ebadi and others, also represented jailed journalist Akbar Ganji during his imprisonment and long hunger strike and imprisoned Iranian-American academic Haleh Esfandiari.

Abdolfattah Soltani (Persian: عبدالفتاح سلطانی ‎; born 2 November 1953) is an Iranian human rights lawyer and spokesman for the Defenders of Human Rights Center. He co-founded the group with Mohammad Seifzadeh and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi. Along with Ebadi, Soltani served as a lawyer for the family of slain Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who was allegedly tortured and murdered in Evin Prison in July 2003. Ebadi and Soltani, along with others, also represented jailed journalist Akbar Ganji during his imprisonment and long hunger strike.