8 Women’s Rights Activists arrested on National Day of Solidarity of Iranian Women

by pat c Fri Jun 13, 2008 15:03

46 Human Rights & Womens organisations from around the world have expressed solidarity with Iranian Women. Full text at link.

We, the undersigned, representing international women’s and human rights organizations, express our solidarity with Iranian women, on 12 June 2008. This is the day identified by women’s rights activists in Iran as their national day of solidarity in objecting to laws that discriminate against women.

Three years ago, on this day, women’s rights activists organized an unprecedented protest in front of Tehran University, demanding that laws which discriminate against women be revised. They pledged to keep up their activities until their demands were met by authorities. On 12 June 2006, Iranian women’s rights activists took to the streets again and planned a similar protest in Haft-e Tir Square, in Tehran, with similar objectives and demands. The protest was violently broken up and over 70 persons arrested. This was the first major crackdown against peaceful women’s activism in Iran.

Since then, scores of women’s rights activists in Iran have been summoned, charged, arrested and sentenced in relation to their peaceful activism and their demands for equality...

Signatories include:

1. Action Now, Kenya
5. Amnesty International
6. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Thailand
7. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
8. Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
9. BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Nigeria
11. Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
15. Forum for Human Rights, Hyderabad, India
16. Forum for the Empowerment of Women, South Africa
18. Front Line
19. Fuerza de Mujeres Wayce: Wayuu Women Force, Colombia
21. Human Rights Watch
25. International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
31. Komnas Perempuan, National Commission on Violence Against Women, Indonesia
32. MADRE (an international women’s human rights organisation)
35. The Global Campaign Stop Killing and Stoning Women!
37. The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM)
40. Women Against War, United States
41. Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways, Turkey
42. Women’s Initiative for Gender Justice (WIGJ)
45. Women’s Resource Center, Sri Lanka
46. WOREC, Nepal.

by pat c Fri Jun 13, 2008 15:14

Sorry, Heres the link.

by pat c Sun Jun 15, 2008 15:30

The arrested women have been released it is not yet clear if they will face charges. Full text at link.

In the early hours of Friday June 13th, nine women’s rights activists who had been arrested outside Rahe Abrisham Gallery were released. A planned seminar to be held in Rahe Abrisham Gallery marking the anniversary of women’s day of solidarity was canceled by security forces.

When organizers arrived at the scene they found the doors of the seminar hall closed and were informed that the seminar had been canceled by security force. Some organizers stayed behind so that they could inform participants about these developments but two of them were arrested and 7 others were arrested within the next few hours. Those arrested were taken to Vozara detention, and released with a third party guarantee. These women have to follow up to see if any charges will be brought against them.

by pat c Mon Jun 16, 2008 19:19

Another womens rights activist has been arrested. Full text at link.

Mahboubeh Karami, a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign was arrested on Friday June 13th. Karami’s mother has confirmed this information and has explained that: "At 10:00 am on Friday Mahboubeh left the house on an errand. She contacted me on her way back and informed me that she is on a bus coming back from Tajrish Square. A little bit later, she called again, and said that she was being arrested. She was close to Mellat park at this point."

Rezvan Moghaddam a member of the Campaign has tried to follow up on the status of Mahboubeh’s case. She went to Vanak Square to inquire about whether Mahboubeh Karami had been transfered to a detention center there. Unfortunately Moghaddam was unable to obtain any information regarding Mahboubeh Karami.

Mahboubeh’s mother has a heart operation scheduled in the next few days and she has to go to the hospital on Saturday. But the stress brought about from Mahboubeh’s arrest makes the upcoming operation a difficult and risky one for her. She wishes that her daughter is released quickly.

by pat c Mon Jun 23, 2008 15:23

Here is news of an Iranian Kurd who has been imprisoned, her crime was to campaign for womens rights. Full text of interview with her lawyer at link.

Hana Abdi, women’s rights activist, is a 21 year old university student at Payame Nour University in the city of Bijar. She is a member of Azar Mehr Women’s NGO in Kurdistan, and the One Million Signatures Campaign. Hana Abdi has been in detention since November 6, 2007, when she was arrested by security officers in the City of Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, Iran. The unexpected and unprecedented sentence issued in the case of Hana Abdi, condemns her to serve a 5 year term in prison in exile in West Azarbaijan Province (in a different city and province other than her own).

Dr. Sharif, we have been informed that you have been officially served with court documents related to the sentence issued in the case of your client, Hana Abdi. Is this correct?

Yes, unfortunately I was officially served with her sentence. This sentence is seriously inappropriate given the nature of the case against my client. Unfortunately Hana Abdi has been sentenced to serve 5 years in prison in a northern border province, in Jolfa in the most northern part of West Azarbaijan Province .