Nasrin Sotoudeh's courageous human rights advocacy has highlighted and exposed the brutality of Ahmadinejad's Iran. Indeed, Iran has jailed more than fifty of its lawyers, and Nasrin was a courageous lawyer for political prisoners until becoming one herself.

The treatment of ethnic minorities is a fundamental question in building a stable, democratic, and prosperous Iran. But the question of ethnic minorities is not merely a problem to be solved; it is also an immense opportunity for a wise and just leadership to transform Iran from its current pariah status into a leader among nations. Embracing human rights and global interdependence is a necessity for Iran's survival and prosperity.

Today marks Zia Nabavi's 29th birthday. This is the fourth consecutive birthday the university student activist is spending in prison. He was arrested at a relative's house on June 15, 2009, following his participation in a peaceful post-election protest. He's been trapped in prison since then.

Today is Bahareh Hedayat's 31st birthday and the fourth wedding anniversary with her activist husband Amin Ahmadian. Unfortunately, the two are separated because Iranian regime agents arrested her in 2009 following a mass opposition protest in the country. Here is a letter she wrote to Ahmadian.

In the run-up to the Iranian election today, there has been a massive campaign underway for imprisonment and silencing of all opposition. There have been arrests, beatings, torture, detentions, kidnappings, disappearances, and executions -- indeed, an execution binge even by Iran's wanton standards.