Authorities must support women human rights defenders in Iran

27 February 2008, 03:55PM

"When they arrested me, they didn't understand … that by bearing witness to the reality of these women's lives - victim of the law, some of whom I believe deserve a different fate - I would never again be able to dismiss my sense of responsibility when confronted by this heavy burden."

Maryam Hosseinkhah

The Iranian authorities should cease their harassment of women human rights defenders and take urgent steps to dismantle the discriminatory legislation they are seeking to change.

"Instead of using its powers to repress and intimidate those who protest and demand their rights, Iran's Government should address longstanding legal and other discrimination against women, who make up half of the country's population," said Malcolm Smart, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty International. "They must release imprisoned women's rights defenders and stop detaining and harassing those peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly."

Our new report comes as Ronak Safarzadeh and Hana Abdi - two Kurdish Iranian activists - continue to be detained without charge or trial, or even access to a lawyer. They were arrested in October and November 2007 for peacefully exercising their rights and their involvement with the Campaign for Equality. This campaign sought to gather one million signatures from Iranians in support of ending discriminatory legislation against women.

Harassment and intimidation of women's rights activists has escalated since the launch of the campaign on 27 August 2006.

Twelve women's rights activists, including 11 women and one man, are currently being detained or facing persecution because of their peaceful efforts to lobby for legislative change. Click on the images on the right to read about each of their cases and find out how to take action on their behalf.

According to our report, Iran: Women's Rights Defenders Defy Repression, women's rights activists have frequently been arbitrarily arrested and detained, denied access to lawyers, family members and due process, and ill-treated with impunity by security officials. Some have been prosecuted on vaguely-worded charges whilst others have simply been detained without any formal charges for long periods of time .

Dozens of activists and supporters have been arrested in connection with their activities for the Campaign for Equality. Since January 2008, the Campaign's website had been blocked by the authorities at least seven times. Official permission to hold public meetings has frequently been denied. Sympathisers offering their homes for meetings and workshops have received threatening phone calls apparently from security officials or been summoned by them for interrogation. At least one such workshop was forcibly broken up by police who arrested those present, beating some.

Amnesty International is calling for change to legislation which permits discrimination against women in public life, employment, inheritance, the justice system, marriage and the family, sexuality, and social and cultural rights.

Our report calls on the Government, Iran's parliament (the Majles), and the judicial authorities to abide by Iran's international obligations to uphold women's rights and end other discriminations.

"The Government should see the work of women's rights activists and human rights defenders as an asset, and recognise the important contribution that such activists and defenders are making to address discrimination and intolerance and to promote universal human rights for all Iranians," says Malcolm Smart.

Take action

• We need your support to show international solidarity with Iranian women's rights defenders. Send an urgent letter to His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran.
• Call on authorities to drop all charges against Maryam Hosseinkhah.
• Comment on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's blog.

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