Islamic Republic of Iran

“We don’t have freedom in Iran, the Iranian Government is dictator, we cannot commemorate [17^th October 2007] in Iran, because many women who fight for freedom have been put in jail. Freedom for all people”

State violence against women in the Islamic Republic of Iran takes many forms: the obligatory wearing of the veil, misogyny, sexual violence, stoning, executions and mutilations. Throughout 2007, the Islamic regime escalated its wave of arrests, kidnappings, and terror of women and worker activists. In an attempt to silence dissident voices in the country, many women activists have been arrested and imprisoned for their participation in peaceful protests and involvement in the “One Million Signatures to End Discrimination Against Women” campaign, a movement to raise public awareness about discriminatory legislation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. They include…

Delaram Ali : 24 years old, social worker and defender of women’s rights. In July 2007, she was sentenced to 34 months in prison and 10 lashes for ‘participation in an illegal demonstration’, ‘propaganda against the regime’ and ‘public nuissance’. In November her prison sentence was reduced to 30 months without lashes. These charges were brought against her due to her participation in a peaceful demonstration, in the Haft Tir de Tehrain square on the 12th June 2006, demanding the end of laws that discriminate against women. Her left hand was broken as she was beaten by the police at the time of her arrest. During the trial, her defence lawyer was not authorised to speak or express himself in court [1].

Hana Abdi: 21 years old, female student at the University of Payam Noor Bijar is another victim of the wave of suppression. Hanna is one of the activists of the ‘One Million Signature’ campaign and was taken from her family home in Sanandaj (a city in the Kurdish region of northwestern Iran) on the 4^th November 2007 and placed in detention. Her computer and documents about the campaign were later confiscated [2].

Ronak Safarzade: is Hanna Abdi’s friend and a fellow ‘One Million Signatures’ campaign activist who was arrested on the 9^th October 2007 and also placed in detention in the Kurdistan Province without having been judged or found guilty by the court.. The only response to Ronak’s mother’s request for more information has been intimidation from the authorities [2].

"The government has not provided a shred of evidence to suggest that Ronak Safazadeh and Hana Abdi have done anything except campaign peacefully for the rights of Iranian women" (Sarah Whitson, Human Rights Watch Middle East director) [3].

Maryam Hosseinkhah: On November 17, Hosseinkhah responded to a written order to appear before a branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in connection with her advocacy for the ‘One Million Signatures Campaign’ and involvement in a peaceful gathering to protest the prosecution of other women's rights activists on the 4^th March 2007. She was 1 among 26 women arrested at that time and released from detention over the following weeks. Officials charged her with "disturbing the public opinion" and "publishing lies" and set a heavy bail of 100 million tomans (approximately US$100,000) for her release. As a result of her inability to provide bail, authorities transferred her to Evin prison where she is being held in Unit 3 of the general women’s ward. She was set to appear in court on the 18^th and 19^th December.

Jelveh Javahari: On December 1, Javahari responded to a written order to appear before a branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, also stemming from her involvement with the ‘One Million Signatures Campaign’ and the peaceful gathering of the 4^th March 2007. The court charged her with "disturbing the public opinion," "propaganda against the order," and "publishing lies via the publication of false news," and then transferred her to Evin prison, where she is also being held in Unit 3 of the general women’s ward.. According to interviews with Javahari's mother, which are available on the website of the “One Million Signatures Campaign”, the court initially set a bail of 50 million tomans (approximately US$50,000) but withdrew it on grounds that investigations into the case would first have to be completed. She was set to appear in court on the 18^th and 19^th December.

"There seems to be no end in sight to the Iranian government's persecution of women's rights activists… They are bringing new charges against women faster than they can try them" (Sarah Whitson, Human Rights Watch, Middle East director) [3]. The imprisonment of these women constitutes a flagrant violation of their rights to freedom of expression and association. These abuses are part of a campaign of deliberate intimidation of human rights activists and civil society in general in Iran, where repression without precedent against pacifists who oppose the government is taking place [4].

We condemn the abuse of human and women’s rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and demand that the State drop politically motivated charges against women's rights activists, annul criminal sentences and release all activists and political prisoners immediately.

Under the threat of war or in an actual situation of war or conflict, women, men and children are even more vulnerable to human rights abuses, from the State itself or from foreign invaders. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not pose a security threat to the United States and we therefore vehemently reject US military intervention in the country and instead demand diplomacy and respect for Iranian sovereignty. We condemn the use of unproven accusations to justify another ‘preventative war’ in the Middle East, which can only have dire consequences for civil society.

Sources:

[1] [4] http://www.amnestyinternational.be/doc/spip.php?article12082

[2] http://www.petitiononline.com/maryam20/petition.html

[3] Human Rights Watch News: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/3db272b23e3e0acbdffa4031f3530c18.htm