Politicians in several European countries and Canada are sponsoring Iranian prisoners.
The lawmakers’ sponsorship means they are using their political heft in communicating with Iranian ambassadors, other politicians and human rights organizations in bringing attention to the plight of individual Iranian prisoners.
The hope is that the attention given to the prisoners will prevent Iranian judges from handing down harsh sentences, including the death penalty, in trials that are often not open to the public.
Families whose loved ones have been arrested in Iran often do not know where their family members are being held or what conditions their family members may have suffered while detained.
Iran has been gripped with protests since the death of a young woman who died in custody after being detained by Iranian forces for wearing her headscarf improperly.
