June 20, 2008

Hana Abdi, a 21 year-old student and women’s rights activist, has been sentenced to a five year prison term in the West Azarbaijan Province. A member of Azar Mehr Women’s NGO and One Million Signatures campaign activist in Kurdistan, Ms. Abdi has been in detention since her November 2007 arrest in Sanandaj, Kurdistan for her peaceful activities in support of women’s rights and the One Million Signatures campaign.

The charge against Ms. Abdi is "gathering and collusion with intent to commit a crime" in relation to Article 610 of the Islamic Penal Code. Her sentence, which is the maximum allowed under such charges, is unprecedented because the prison is located in a border province far from Ms. Abdi’s home province of Kurdistan. According to her attorney, Dr. Mohammed Sharif, the duration of the sentence is also inappropriate, given the nature of the case against Ms. Abdi.

Her attorney plans to appeal the sentence.

Nine Women’s Rights Activists Arrested in Iran

June 14, 2008 Update

The nine women’s rights activists who were arrested on June 12, as they attempted to hold a seminar in commemoration of the National Day of Solidarity of Iranian Women, have been released.

Aida Saadat, Nahid Mirhaj, Nasrin Sotoodeh, Jila Baniyaghoob, Nafiseh Azad, Sarah Logmani, Jelve Javaher, Farideh Ghaeb and Alieh Eghdamdoost were released from Vozara Detention Center at around 1:00am Friday morning, June 13, after being held for nearly eight hours. They have not yet learned if any charges will be brought against them.

June 12, 2008

Today on the occasion of the National Day of Solidarity of Iranian Women, nine women’s rights activists were arrested outside of the Rahe Abrisham Gallery just prior to a small, peaceful assembly planned to commemorate the day.

Aida Saadat, Nahid Mirhaj, Nafiseh Azad, Nasrin Sotoodeh, Jelve Javaheri, Jila Baniyagoub, Sarah Loghmani, Farideh Ghaeb, were arrested by Tehran security police along with photographer and reporter Aliyeh Mohtalebzadeh and taken to the Vozara Detention Center where they are currently being held. Their families have gathered outside the detention center and are awaiting further information.

June 12th has been chosen by Iranian women’s rights activists as their national day of solidarity to object harmful actions which attempt to silence Iranian women. Women’s rights activists are continually denied the right of freedom of association and assembly. Even meetings in private homes are often broken up by security forces.

For updates on the situation and to read prior alerts, please visit WLP's Human Rights Alerts web page or visit the "One Million Signatures" official campaign web site.

Campaign Activist Khadijeh Moghaddam Released

April 16, 2008

Change for Equality: Khadijeh Moghaddam member of the Mother’s Committee of the One Million Signatures Campaign, and a member of Mothers for Peace, was released on the afternoon of Wednesday April 16, after spending nine days in detention. She was greeted by her family and friends, as well as her colleagues in the One Million Signatures Campaign.

Campaign Activist Khadijeh Moghaddam Arrested

April 10, 2008

Change for Equality: Women's Learning Partnership strongly condemns the arrest of One Million Signatures campaign activist Khadijeh Moghaddam. Ms. Moghaddam, a member of the Mother’s for Peace Committee, was forcibly removed from her home, transferred to Eshrat Abad Security Police, where she was interrogated for several hours, and then transferred to the Revolutionary Courts, where she was interrogated by Mr. Sobhani the Investigative Judge. During her interrogation, she was asked to identify other Campaign members who had participated in peaceful gatherings at her home.

A temporary arrest order was issued, and she was charged with "spreading propaganda, disrupting public opinion, and acting against national security." Bail was set at 100 Million Tomans (roughly $110,000) and she was then transferred to Vozara Detention Center.

For more information, please go to Change for Equality's website.

Parvin Ardalan Detained at Airport; More Campaign Activists Sentenced and Summoned

March 3, 2008

Today, Parvin Ardalan, journalist and human rights activist, was stopped at the airport as she was leaving for Stockholm to receive the Olaf Palme award for her work on the One Million Signatures campaign for legislative reform in Iran. She had completed the departure procedures and had boarded the plane when she was forced to disembark by order of the prosecutor and her passport was taken from her. In an interview with Radio Zamaneh, Ms. Ardalan said “I was told to go to the office of the president in 72 hours to retrieve my passport. The 72 hours delay very likely will cause me to miss the award ceremony in Sweden, which is to take place on March 6th.” For more information, please see Radio Zamaneh (Persian).

In other campaign news, on February 20, Ehteram Shadfar, member of the Women’s Cultural Center and active member of the Mothers Committee of the campaign, was found guilty of propaganda against the state through collecting signatures in support of the campaign’s petition. She was sentenced to six months suspended prison term by the Revolutionary Courts. To find out more information about her sentencing, please see the Change for Equality website.

Last Tuesday, February 26, Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi, were released from prison after spending 13 days in detention. These two women were arrested while collecting signatures in support of the campaign’s petition.

On the same day, according to Change for Equality, Maryam Hosseinkhah, member of the Women’s Cultural Center and One Million Signatures campaign, was issued a summons to appear at the Security Branch of the Revolutionary Courts. She has already been imprisoned for 45 days for “endangering national security” through the publication of articles in support of women’s rights on the Change for Equality website.

Also on February 26, Amir Yaghoubali, member of the campaign, appeared at the Revolutionary Courts for a trial related to his arrest for collecting signatures in July 2007.

On this same day, Shahla Entesari, a women’s rights activist and member of the campaign, was tried in the Revolutionary Courts for peacefully protesting the trial of four women’s activists on March 4, 2007.

Parvin Ardalan Summoned to Court; More Campaign Activists Arrested

February 22, 2008

Parvin Ardalan, one of the founding members of the One Million Signatures campaign, was summoned to the Revolutionary court on February 20. She is the 2007 winner of the Olof Palme Prize for human rights, which she will receive on March 6. She has 3 days to report to court. No information was given as to why she was summoned.

Pressure on women’s rights activists continues to mount. The number of activists arrested in direct relation to their activities for the campaign climbed to 43. Two active members, Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi, were arrested on February 14 while collecting signatures for the campaign. They were charged with “propaganda against the state” and transferred to Evin prison on February 16, where bail was set at 20 million tomans ($22,000).

Another campaign activist, 62 year-old Ehteram Shadfar, was sentenced to six months suspended prison sentence. She was found guilty of propaganda against the state. She is the third woman sentenced to prison for collecting signatures. Nasim Sarabandi and Fatemeh Dehdashti were also sentenced to six months suspended sentence. These sentences are issued despite the fact that no law exists criminalizing the collection of signatures.

Source: Change for Equality

February 28, 2008

Sussan Tahmasebi, one of the founding members of the One Million Signatures campaign, answers your questions.

Answers to Your Most Frequently Asked Questions About the Campaign

Change for Equality: What is the One Million Signatures Campaign?

The One Million Signatures Campaign officially launched on August 27, 2006, aims to collect one million signatures in support of a petition addressed to the Iranian Parliament asking for the revision and reform of current laws which discriminate against women. One of the main aims of the Campaign is to educate citizens and particularly women about the negative impact of these discriminatory laws on the lives of women and society as a whole. Those who agree with the aims of the Campaign can support it by signing the petition. Those who are interested in becoming more involved can become involved in local groups working on the Campaign. The Campaign uses a face-to-face education approach in promoting awareness about the laws, and Campaign activists after going through a training course on the laws, and face-to-face approach, can become more involved by collecting signatures from fellow citizens. To date, nearly 1,000 individuals have been trained in this method, but there are countless others who have downloaded the petition from our site or have received it from friends and who are engaged in signature collections. The Campaign is officially active in over 15 provinces. In Tehran, the Campaign is organized in a committee format, where the bulk of the activities of the Campaign are carried out. In the provinces, local volunteers decide the structure of the Campaign and how to carryout its work based on local needs and resources. The document "About the One Million Signatures Campaign" explains more about the Campaign, its goals and its methodology.

What laws exactly are you seeking to change?

The Campaign is asking that all discriminatory laws against women be reformed. The kinds of changes we are requesting in the laws have been outlined and explained in the educational booklet of the Campaign, the "Effect of Laws on Women’s Lives."

The booklet discusses some of the legal changes that the Campaign seeks, such as equal rights for women in marriage, equal rights to divorce for women, end to polygamy and temporary marriage, increase of age of criminal responsibility to 18 for both girls and boys, right for women to pass on nationality to their children, equal dieh (compensation for bodily injury or death) between women and men, equal inheritance rights, reform of laws that reduce punishment for offenders in cases of honor killings, equal testimony rights for men and women in court, and other laws which discriminate against women.

Are the demands of the Campaign in opposition to Islam?

No. While the Campaign seeks to bring Iranian law addressing women’s status in line with international human rights standards, these demands are in no way in contradiction to Islam. Iranian law is based on interpretations of Sharia law, but these interpretations have been up for debate by religious scholars for some time, not only in Iran but around the Islamic world. Shiite Islam, on which the interpretations of Sharia rely with respect to Iranian law, claims to be dynamic and responsive to the specific needs of people and time. Iranian society has changed much since 1400 years ago, but the interpretations of Sharia on which the Iranian law is based remain rather conservative. We ask that the laws come in line with international human rights standards and recognize the important role that religious scholars can play in facilitating our demand. In fact, long before the start of the Campaign, religious scholars, including ayatollahs Sanei’i and Bojnourdi, for example, using dynamic jurisprudence and ijtahad had addressed some of our demands by offering new and progressive interpretations of Sharia with respect to women’s rights. But these interpretations have not been translated into laws governing the rights of women. We hope that our effort will convey the urgency of our demands to lawmakers and hope that religious scholars take a more active role in examining these laws and bringing them inline with the realities of Iranian women and Iranian society. In fact, activists in the Campaign welcome progressive interpretations of Islam with regard to women’s rights and some have even held discussions with religious scholars in this respect.

Who can sign the petition?

Only Iranian nationals can sign the petition and only their signatures count toward the one million to be presented to the Parliament. Second generation Iranians living abroad who have one Iranian parent can also sign the petition. International supporters can express their solidarity by issuing statements of support for our effort or signing the petition for international support. To date, many Nobel peace prize winners, the Dahli Lama and other well known international figures have expressed solidarity with our efforts. But the signature of international supporters does not count toward the one million signatures we are aiming to collect.

How long will the Campaign last?

The Campaign will last until the one million signatures are collected. Initially Campaign activists assumed that it would take 2-3 years to collect the signatures, but the process of signature collection has been slower than expected, because changing patriarchal cultures takes time and because activists have faced pressure and limitations from security forces. Nevertheless, the activists are committed to continuing the work of the Campaign and the Campaign continues to grow and progress.

How many signatures have you collected?

On the one year anniversary of the Campaign, activists decided not to announce the number of signatures, because many signed petitions especially from the provinces, had not been submitted to the documentation committee of the Campaign which is charged with tallying the number of signatures. We will announce the number of signatures in the future and once petitions from around the country can be collected.

What’s the Campaign’s Policy on Funding?

Early on, in the first couple of meetings related to the Campaign and prior to its official launch, the issue of funding was brought up and put to rest. It was decided, and the Campaign stands firm on this issue to this day, that no funding support from international organizations, foundations or governments whether overt or covert would be accepted. It was further agreed that no funding from national organizations and foundations or government institutions, whether overt or covert would be accepted by the Campaign. For those of us starting this effort, and for those who joined subsequently, the issue of independence was the most important issue. We knew that if we were to be successful in reaching the grassroots and the Iranian population and establishing relationships based on trust, there should be no question about our independence. And financial support from institutions, whether national or international, would quickly erode that trust and our standing in establishing an independent movement. At the same time we realized that the success of our effort was based largely on our success in creating a sense of ownership among activists involved in the Campaign and supporters as well. The contribution of funds, however small, from individual members and supporters of the Campaign would go a long way to reinforce this sense of ownership.

From the start however, we faced accusations from security forces, whether official or spread in the form of rumors, or published untruths in news outlets associated with security apparatuses, in regards to receiving support or direction from the West. The saving grace for the Campaign here has been that all its members understand and fully believe that the Campaign is a home grown effort, which relies on the ideas, and energies of Iranians, especially young women and men, for its sustenance, and on the personal contributions of individual members and supporters to meet its financial obligations. And certainly, in this sense the Campaign can set an example for other efforts in Iran and internationally.

Additionally, much of the Campaign’s activities have been sustained by contributions of time and non-monetary resources of individual members and supporters. For example, Campaign meetings and events are often held in the homes of members, who cover costs associated with these meetings out of pocket. Those traveling to the provinces to conduct training workshops or connect with members in other cities, pay for travel costs out of pocket, and stay in the homes of friends and family or other Campaign activists. Contributions from supporters are largely used to support the work of the website and the printing of educational pamphlets on the laws, which are distributed to the public as an educational tool. With this level of commitment we have managed to grow and still remain independent. We ask that our volunteers and those people who identify themselves as Campaign members, to adhere to these general ethical guidelines in their cooperation with us. So, if you ever hear someone accusing the Campaign of receiving financial support from international groups, you should seriously question the credibility of the information being provided and if anyone ever approaches an international organization seeking financial support for the Campaign, you should seriously question the credibility of the individual.

How does the Iranian public react to your efforts?

People’s reaction to the Campaign is varied. Many support our effort and can demonstrate that support by adding their signature to the petition or becoming more involved. We realize that besides laws and some resistance from those in power, we also face cultural resistance, from a small segment of society. This is why the Campaign has adopted the face-to-face education approach, so that a true discussion on women’s rights can take place among citizens. Change in cultural attitudes, especially patriarchal beliefs deeply imbedded in society takes time and the educational component of the Campaign is one of the most important components of this effort. At the same time Campaign activists contend that women’s social status in Iranian society has improved considerably. Women are present in all social spheres. Over 60% of college entrances and larger percentages of college graduates are women. Women are present in local and national government and high decision making levels (though, similar to other countries, especially in the region, this representation continues to lag far behind that of men). Women are educators, university professors, health care providers, business owners, etc. Campaign activists feel that the laws governing the status of women are far behind the realities of women’s lives and their social gains in Iran and as such need to be reformed. They believe that in an effort to promote women’s equal status, laws should be ahead of cultural norms and currently they are far behind cultural and social realities and as such reform is necessary.

Is the Campaign opposed to the government of Iran?

No. The Campaign is not an opposition group or opposed to the government. It seeks to work within the existing system to create change and to express the demands of a major segment of the Iranian population to the government. The Campaign’s petition is directly addressing the Iranian public and the Iranian legislature (Parliament). Some within the government or within political groups have supported and signed the Campaign’s petition, especially reformists, including many former parliamentarians, some current reformist parliamentarians, people from ruling-religious families, etc. Some Campaign members have even reached out to parliamentarians and other political figures to introduce the Campaign and speak about its demands. Since the start of the Campaign, there has also been much discussion among decision-makers and religious leaders about the need to reform laws on women. Activists hope that through this effort, the urgency of the matter will be conveyed to the Parliament, forcing them to act with expedience and greater resolve, than they would if left up to their own accord. Since the start of the Campaign, the discourse on women’s rights has become common place, among grassroots groups and citizens as well as those in the highest levels of public office and this is a major achievement and source of pride, demonstrating the success of the Campaign and its peaceful and civic strategies.

What kind of resistance and pressure have Campaign activists faced from government?

From the start of the Campaign we have faced resistance from some segments of the Iranian government, particularly security forces. The inaugural seminar of the Campaign, marking its official start was thwarted by security forces who did not allow the seminar to take place. As such, the Campaign started its work on the streets, behind the closed doors of Ra’ad conference hall. Since then, our efforts to secure public seminar space for conferences addressing women’s rights, or meetings for Campaign members have been systematically denied. Our website has been systematically blocked and filtered (over ten times). Newspapers and the press have been warned against covering news about our activities so use of the regular media to conduct education and outreach for our efforts is not an available option and we have had to rely on our face-to-face education strategies for spreading news about our efforts and demands. Also, our members have been arrested, despite the fact that our work is peaceful and civic and there is no law that bans the collection of signatures in support of petitions directed at the Parliament. To date, 43 individuals have been arrested in direct relation to their activities in the Campaign. Because we have been systematically denied the use of public seminar and conference halls for the convening of our meetings, we are forced to hold meetings in our own homes. But these meetings too have been broken up by security forces, or homeowners have been harassed prior to the convening of meetings. Some homeowners have been called in for interrogation following meetings in their homes. Campaign activists who have been summoned to court or arrested have been charged with security charges, such as spreading of propaganda against the state and endangering national security. Despite these pressures, Campaign activists stand firm on the belief that their activities are legal and that they are not intended to endanger national security or spread propaganda against the state. As such, they are continuing with their activities with greater resolve. To read more about the pressures on Campaign activists take a look at the article, "Detentions and Summonses against Campaigners for Gender Equality."

Those Campaign activists who have been arrested and imprisoned for more than a few days, have systematically taken their activism inside women’s prisons where many women have resorted to committing crimes, because the legal system did not support them in a just manner. These activists have taken it upon themselves to tell the stories of these women and to initiate efforts designed to improve their circumstances in prison. Needless to say, female prisoners in Evin’s public ward, where most activists who have been incarcerated for any length of time have been held, as well as guards, have come to know and respect the activists involved in the Campaign as well as the aims of the Campaign, and treat activists well during their stay in prison.

If the Campaign is not working in opposition to the government, then why have there been so many arrests of activists?

Addressing social inequities and patriarchal practices is difficult in all societies and women around the world have had to pay a high price for achieving equality. We don’t believe that our movement is different than similar movements for equal rights by women internationally. There has always been resistance to change of patriarchal systems and the resistance to women gaining their rights in Iran can be classified as such. Additionally, citizen’s movements such as this tend to be uncommon and a new experience in Iran. It takes time for officials to get used to people taking charge and pressing in peaceful and civil means for their demands and the right to be heard. While the Campaign is focused on the common demand of women for equal rights, we do feel that this new and peaceful approach, which does not utilize antagonistic means, will hold lessons for all citizens who wish to have their voices heard by their government and their representatives in Parliament.

How can international organizations or individuals support your effort?

Many international organizations, especially human rights organizations, have expressed their support for our work, which we appreciate. The most important and helpful type of support comes from independent human rights and women’s rights organizations. It is important for the safety of activists that support is not posed in terms that can be closely linked with "regime change" efforts or propaganda, because not only is this not a goal of the Campaign, but it will endanger activists working on the ground and the Campaign too will lose credibility among its true audience which is the Iranian public. It is not to the benefit of individual activists or the Campaign to receive support from government groups or quasi- government groups which are closely linked with or are traditionally viewed as hostile to the Iranian government, because we will suffer a backlash at home. We cannot control the type of support we receive from international groups, but we urge international groups to take into consideration the best interest of the Campaign and its activists and act ethically and responsibly in this respect.

Support us through the following means:

• Support us by publicizing our efforts;
• Post our articles on your website: we have an English website that posts translations of articles by activists or original articles on the Campaign. Our English site is updated regularly. You can link our site or post articles by our members, which appear on our English website (credit should be given to the author, translator and the site). Take a look at: www.we4change.com/english;
• Express your solidarity for the campaign in polite and non-political terms (we are not an opposition group and should not be touted as such);
• Support us when activists get arrested by writing polite letters to Iranian officials requesting their immediate release, their fair treatment in prison and in court, or by posting news on your website about our imprisoned colleagues; and
• Share with us experiences of women’s movements in your countries addressing similar issues or utilizing similar strategies, so that we can learn from the experiences of women around the globe.

Campaign Activists Maryam Hosseinkhah and Jelve Javaheri Released from Prison

January 7, 2008

Change for Equality: Maryam Hosseinkhah and Jelve Javaheri, Iranian women’s rights activists and members of the One Million Signatures campaign, were released from prison on January 2.

Ms. Hosseinkhah spent six weeks in prison and Ms. Javaheri spent one month in prison due to their activities and writings in support of the campaign.

While in prison, the two women’s rights activists set up a fund to support female prisoners and contributed sixty books to the women’s library in Evin. They also wrote about the conditions in the female ward and the women who committed violent crimes because they had no other alternative.

To read Ms. Hosseinkhah and Ms. Javaheri’s articles about the women at Evin prison, please see below:

Women at Evin: Victims of Marriage at a Young Age by Maryam Hosseinkhah describes the stories of women she met in Evin prison who were forced into early marriages and reverted to crime because they were unable to divorce their husbands or obtain custody of their children.

The Sorrowful Tales of Women at Evin Prison by Jelve Javaheri speaks out about the lives of female prisoners who were forced into early marriages or coerced by their husbands into selling drugs or conducting other illegal activities. The stories are a testament to the problems with the current legal system which discriminates against women.

A year with the Campaign: Acquired Lessons from a Shift to a Horizontal Power Structure by Jelve Javaheri is a compelling article on the horizontal, or decentralized, power structure of the campaign. Activists chose to take this approach in order to rotate responsibilities, allow for the inclusion of a diversity of voices, and encourage individual participation. The reliance on individual dissemination of information and open dialogue encourages power sharing and increases the possibility to engage a wide range of activists.

Iran: New Wave of Arrests of Non-Violent "One Million Signatures" Campaign Activists

December 3, 2007

Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) strongly condemns the Iranian government’s unceasing repression of the civil society, especially the recent wave of arrests of Iran’s women’s rights activists. The latest in a string of arrests, One Million Signatures campaign member Jelveh Javaheri was imprisoned on Saturday, December 1 after undergoing interrogation at the security branch of the Revolutionary Courts. She is the fourth campaign activist arrested since October.

Maryam Hosseinkhah, a journalist and active campaign member, was arrested on November 18 and remains in Evin prison. Ms. Javaheri and Ms. Hosseinkhah have both been charged with “inciting public opinion, propaganda against the state, and publication of false information on the website of the campaign” of Change for Equality, a campaign for freedom of speech and women’s human rights.

Hana Abdi and Ronak Safazadeh, friends and active campaign members, were arrested in Kurdistan Province, Iran on October 10 and November 4 respectively, for unspecified reasons.

Also this past month, Delaram Ali was sentenced to 2 years 6 months in prison and 10 lashes for her participation in the June 12, 2006 peaceful protest in support of women’s rights.

Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) is deeply concerned about the increasing number of women’s rights activists arrested recently. To date, over forty individuals have been arrested in relation to their peaceful activities in support of the One Million Signatures campaign.

To help these courageous women and to protest the wrongful arrests and sentencing of non-violent campaign activists, please write to:

Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Iran
Email: info@leader.ir
Fax: +98-21-649-5880 or +98-21-774-2228

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi
Head of the Judiciary
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Tehran, Iran
Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com
Fax : +98-21-879-6671

Mr. Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10017, United States
Email: mkhazaee@un.int
Fax: +1-212-867-7086

For more information, see below or go to the official campaign website at www.weforchange.info/english/.

Campaign Activist Maryam Hosseinkhah Arrested

November 20, 2007

Change for Equality: Maryam Hosseinkhah, a journalist and active member of the One Million Signatures campaign, was arrested on Sunday, November 18.

Days earlier, the website of the Women’s Cultural Center, a leading women’s NGO, was shut down by order of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Judiciary. Ms. Hossienkhah, an editor of the Women’s Cultural Center website as well as one of the editors of the One Million Signatures campaign site, was interrogated on November 17 and charged with disruption of public opinion, propaganda against the state, and publication of lies.

She arrived at court the next day for more interrogation, whereupon she was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison.

To date, over forty individuals have been arrested in relation to their peaceful activities in support of the campaign.

Campaign Activist Hana Abdi Arrested in Kurdistan, Iran; Maziar Samiee Released on Bail

November 11, 2007

Change for Equality: Hana Abdi, an active member of the One Million Signatures campaign in Kurdistan province, was arrested on November 4 for unspecified reasons. Hana is a friend of Ronak Safazadeh, both active in the campaign and also members of Azar Mehr, a women’s rights NGO.

Hana is a 21 year-old student of Psychology at Payame Noor University in Bijar. Her friend, Ronak, remains in prison with no contact with her lawyer or family and friends.

Also this past week, Maziar Samiee, an active member of the campaign and student activist was released from prison on bail on November 8. Maziar spent over ten days in prison.

Campaign Activist Delaram Ali Sentenced to 10 Lashes and over 2 Years in Prison; Activist Maziar Samiee Arrested

November 5, 2007

Change for Equality: Women’s Learning Partnership strongly condemns the unjust punishment of One Million Signatures campaign activist Delaram Ali, who was sentenced to 2 years 6 months in prison and 10 lashes for her participation in the June 12, 2006 protest in support of women’s rights.

The protest was violently broken up by the police, and Ms. Ali sustained a broken arm as a result of the severe beatings. Complaints of excessive force were filed against the police, but last month the police were found innocent.

During her original May 29, 2007 trial, Ms. Ali was sentenced to 2 years 10 months and 20 lashes, but the appeals court slightly reduced the sentence.

Also this past week, an active member of the campaign’s men’s committee, Maziar Samiee, was arrested along with seven other student activists during protests at Allameh Tabatabaie University (Change for Equality). The students were protesting the imprisonment of three fellow student activists. A statement was issued by male equal rights defenders condemning his arrest and detention.

Campaign Activist Ronak Safazadeh Remains in Prison; Her Mother Assaulted by the Police

November 2, 2007

Change for Equality: An arrest order was renewed for One Million Signatures campaign activist Ronak Safazadeh. She will remain in prison for at least one more month. Since her arrest on October 10, no news about her condition or whereabouts have been made available to her family members by government officials. When Ms. Safazadeh's mother went to follow-up on her condition, the police physically assaulted her.

Ms. Safazadeh’s sister explained that family members were not allowed to visit Ronak during her court hearing, “They have informed us that Ronak is being held in the local offices of the Information Ministry, but we don’t know how accurate this information actually is.”

In a brief telephone call with family members, Ronak asked her family to ensure that she has lawyers representing her in this case.

Last week, a statement of protest signed by six hundred equal rights defenders was issued calling for Ronak’s release.

Fourteen Iranian Women's Rights Activists Summoned to Court

November 1, 2007

Change for Equality: Fourteen Iranian women’s rights activists have been summoned to court to face trial over the next two months. Two women are being tried for their activities in relation to the One Million Signatures campaign, and the others are on trial for their participation in a peaceful protest on March 4, 2007. The charges against them include assembly, "collusion against national security, disruption of public order, and refusal to obey police orders." Based on Article 27 of the Iranian constitution, peaceful protests and gatherings are permissible under law. Updates on the trials will be provided on this site, as they are made available.

Campaign Activist Ronak Safazadeh Arrested in Kurdistan, Iran

October 10, 2007

Change for Equality: Ronak Safazadeh, a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, was arrested at her home in Sanandaj, Kurdistan on Tuesday October 9, 2007.

According to reports from the Kurdistan Human Rights News Agency, security forces arrived at her home, and searched and seized some of her property, including her computer, copies of the Campaign's petition, and the Campaign booklet explaining Iranian laws. Ms. Safazadeh was then arrested and transferred to the detention center of the local Office of Information and Security Ministry in Sanandaj. According to reports, the nature of the arrest of Ms. Safazadeh and the search of her home by security forces was violent.

Ronak Safazadeh is a graphic artist and women’s rights activist. She is a member of Azar Mehr NGO in Kurdistan, Iran. Prior to her arrest, Ms. Safazadeh attended a program commemorating the International Day of the Child, on Monday October 8, 2007, during which she engaged in discussions with participants about the Campaign and collected signatures in support of its petition. Despite the fact that collecting signatures is not an illegal activity, nine security agents arrived at her home in three cars the following day to arrest her. There is no information on the whereabouts of Ms. Safazadeh since her arrest and her family has not been able to contact her nor obtain additional information about the charges against her. Updates on her status will be provided on this site, as they are made available.

Campaign Activists Amir and Bahareh Released from Evin Prison After Long Solitary Confinement

August 10, 2007

Amir Yaghoub Ali and Bahareh Hedayat, two members of the One Million Signatures campaign, were released August 8 from Evin prison after spending approximately one month in solitary confinement.

More than 150 friends and family members of the two campaign activists and eleven other student activists also imprisoned in Evin were outside the prison awaiting their release. Amir Yaghoub Ali was released on $20,000 bail and Bahareh Hedayet was released on about $50,000 bail.

For more information:

Amir Yaghoub Ali and Bahareh Hedayat Released (Change for Equality)

Male Campaign Activist and Women’s Rights Activist Arrested

July 31, 2007

The Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) calls for the release of "One Million Signatures" campaign activists Amir Yaghoub Ali and Bahareh Hedayat. Women’s rights organizations in Morocco, Palestine, and Turkey join WLP in sending their support and solidarity to all our Iranian colleagues working to end gender apartheid and advance gender equality through the "One Million Signatures" campaign. The organizations include: Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc of Morocco, Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work of Turkey, and Women’s Affairs Technical Committee of Palestine.

July 26, 2007

Amir Yaghoub Ali, a young male activist for the Iranian "One Million Signatures" Campaign, and Bahareh Hedayat, a leader in the student movement and an active campaigner for women’s rights, have been arrested and are being held in Evin prison.

Amir Yaghoub Ali, 20, one of a growing number of young men involved in the “One Million Signatures” campaign, was arrested on July 11 while collecting signatures in support of the campaign at Andisheh Park in Tehran. He is the 13th campaign activist to be arrested. Amir was detained by park police and subsequently arrested and taken to a police station. After five days in detention, he was transferred to section 209 of Evin Prison, which is administered by the Ministry of Intelligence. He has been in Evin since then, celebrating his 20th birthday in solitary confinement.

According to Amir’s mother, Behnaz Mokhtari, the judge in charge of his case informed her on July 22 that he had been transferred to Evin prison. She reported, "Mr. Sobhani, the judge, informed us that there are 11 charges against Amir, and that he would have to remain in Evin prison until these charges are investigated. I asked the judge what exactly these charges were. My daughter asked what illegal activity has he engaged in? Is the collection of signatures illegal?"

The judge, according to Ms. Mokhtari, brushed them off and replied, "We are not concerned with its legal or illegal nature. We have to see what the "leaning" and intent of his activities were. Amir is a man, why has he concerned himself with the activities of women? He should go and focus on his studies."

Another leader in the student movement and campaigner for women's rights in Iran, Bahareh Hedayat, 24, was arrested on July 9 at Amir Kabir University in Tehran. Bahareh was arrested while peacefully participating in a sit-in to protest the arrest of fellow students. She was the only woman among eighteen students arrested that day in different locations. She could face especially harsh treatment because she was convicted on charges of acting against "national security" earlier this year. A member of the “One Million Signatures” campaign and one of the founders of a women’s commission in Tahkim Vahdat, a prominent student organization in Iran, she received a two-year suspended prison sentence for her participation in the June 12, 2006 peaceful women’s rally in Tehran which ended in police violence and the detention of more than 70 people.

The police searched Bahareh’s house and confiscated her personal belongings, including her albums, CDs, and writings. Due to the stress and anxiety caused by Bahareh’s arrest, her sister, who was 9 months pregnant, lost her baby. In a very short phone call Bahareh made to her mother, she told her that she might stay in prison for two to three months.

Your support sends a message of solidarity to women activists who are struggling for their rights. Please sign the petition to show your support. English petition/Persian petition

Visit this page frequently for further updates on the recent arrests.

For further details, please see:
"Amir Yagoub-Ali Spends 20th Birthday in Evin Prison"
"Human Rights First: Support Bahareh Hedayat"
"All Members of Tahkim Vahdat Student Organization Central Committee Detained at Amir Kabir University" (in Persian, Amir Kabir News)
"Security Forces Enter Bahareh Hedayat’s House" (in Persian, Zanestan)
"Pressures on Student’s Families Escalated" (in Persian, Zanestan)

Campaign Activist Sentenced to Prison and Lashings

July 6, 2007

Delaram Ali, a 24 year old student activist and women’s rights defender and member of the One Million Signatures Campaign was sentenced to 2 years and 10 months in prison and 10 lashes for participating in the June 12, 2006 peaceful women’s rally in Tehran, which ended with police violence and detention of more than 70 people.

The sentence issued by Judge Salavati, in charge of the 15th District of the Revolutionary Courts, relied on amendments 500, 610 and 618 of Iran’s Penal Code finding Delaram Ali guilty of "propaganda against the state," "acting against national security" by participating in the June 12th protest, and "disruption of public order," We Change reports.

Alieh Eghdam Doost, another women’s rights activist who was also arrested at the June 12th protest was sentenced to 3 years and 5 months in prison and 20 lashes on similar charges July 4, 2007.

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Delaram Ali said the heavy sentence is a warning sent by the government to other activists who have open cases in the court to "learn their lesson." By calling her a "criminal" in the verdict, Ali said: "When they call a social activist a 'criminal,' they degrade her activism to the level of drug smuggling. This shows that the sentence is humiliating and very insulting." Ali's interview in English is available here.

Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Laureate and Ali’s attorney said in an interview with We Change: "Issuing such a heavy sentence for a student girl whose only demand is to be considered as a whole person in the society and before the law, and whose only wish is to be granted the same legal status as her brother is surprising. The women who participated in the June 12, 2006 protest or are members of the One Million Signatures Campaign have declared their civil demand for eliminating discrimination against women in the most peaceful manner. However, these women are accused of acting against national security and this is really shameful."

Four other activists were convicted in April 2007 with sentences between 1 – 4 years of which 1.5 – 3 years were suspended for a five-year period during which activists cannot be "found guilty of any other crime." The government is convicting activists as a way to pressure them to cease their activities. Scroll down to see prior alerts.

Your solidarity sends a message of support to the campaign activists who are struggling for their rights. Sign the petition to show your support.

Visit this page frequently to get further updates and analysis on the verdicts as they become available.

May 23, 2007

Youth activist released on bail; Continued government pressure on campaign members

Zeinab Peyqambarzadeh was finally freed on bail Wednesday, May 16 after enduring nine days in prison for her role in a peaceful protest on March 4. Bail was posted on Monday, but her release was delayed until Wednesday. As is customary, her friends and family waited outside Evin prison to take her home on Monday. They waited until 9pm, when prison officials informed them that Zienab would be personally escorted home. Instead of taking her home, however, on Wednesday prison officials dropped her off at Kaj Square from where she subsequently contacted her father.

We are very relieved that Zeinab has been released, but continue to be concerned about the government’s targeting of “One Million Signatures” campaign members.

For further details, please see:
Zeinab Peyqambarzadeh, Released after Spending Nine Days in Prison

Another Iranian women’s rights activist arrested and denied bail; More activists summoned to Revolutionary Court

May 8, 2007

Zeinab Peyqambarzadeh, an active youth member of the “One Million Signatures” campaign, was arrested yesterday for her participation in a peaceful protest on March 4. She reported to the Revolutionary Court after receiving a summons, where she was then arrested and transferred to Evin prison. Her father and lawyer attempted to post the set bail of 20 million toumans (about $27,000), but the court refused to accept the bail and would not authorize Peyqambarzadeh’s release.

Two other women’s rights activists, Maryam Hosseinhkah and Fatemeh Govaraie, were also summoned to court for their role in the March 4 protest. The peaceful protest was staged in objection to increasing pressure on the Iranian women’s movement and efforts to curb activities aimed at raising awareness of discriminatory laws against women. (Scroll down for more information about the March 4th protest.)

For more information, read:

• New Form of Lawlessness Spreading in Iran: Interview with Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, by Sepideh Abdi, Rooz Online
• Courts Refuse to Release Zeinab from Prison! Father told, Come back on Wednesday
• Vozara Detention Center : A Place for Women in Search of Freedom by Zeinab Peyqambarzadeh
  Excerpt: "Zeinab Peyqambarzadeh was the first member of the Campaign to be arrested. She was arrested on Friday December 22, 2006 while distributing pamphlets on the metro and taken to Vozara Detention Center. She was subsequently released after spending 4 days in detention. Zeinab has since been arrested on two other occasions. She was among the 33 women arrested in front of the Revolutionary Courts in early April. In relation to this case, Zeinab was summoned to the Revolutionary Courts on May 7, and was arrested due to the fact that she was unable to post a bail of 20 Million Tomans. She is currently being held in Ward 3 of Evin prison. Zeinab wrote the following article based on her experience in Vozara detention center. Zeinab is also among many students whose registration at University has been suspended due to social and political activities. She is currently suspended from University but hopes to reenroll next term."
• Read Zeinab's Weblog (Persian)

Four Iranian women's rights activists sentenced to prison for organizing a peaceful protest demanding equal rights

April 25, 2007

Four women's rights activists were sentenced to prison last week for their role in organizing the June 12, 2006 peaceful protest demanding equal rights for women. The activists are organizers of the "One Million Signatures" Campaign launched in August 2006 to demand an end to discriminatory laws against women. They were officially charged under article 610 of the penal code with "actions against the state" and threatening "national security."

Fariba Davoudi Mohajer was sentenced to 4 years in prison, three of which are suspended and one year needs to be served. Parvin Ardalan and Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani were sentenced to 3 years, of which two and a half years are suspended and six months are to be served. Sussan Tahmasebi received 2 years, of which one year and a half years are suspended and six months are to be served.

The women will be required to serve the suspended sentences if "found guilty of another crime"--meaning continue activism--during the next five years. The government is using the suspended sentence as a way to pressure activists into ceasing their activities.

All activists were tried in absentia. In a strange turn of events, when they walked outside the courthouse to stop the police from beating supporters and friends assembled to hear the outcome of their case, they were arrested and prevented from returning to the courthouse to be present at their own trial.

To help these courageous women achieve their goal of reaching one million signatures, please sign the petition: English Petition | Persian Petition.

To protest the sentencing of the four activists, please write to:

Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Iran
Email: info@leader.ir
Fax: +98-21-649-5880 or +98-21-774-2228
Salutation: Your Excellency

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi
Head of the Judiciary
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Tehran, Iran
Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com
Fax : +98-21-879-6671
Salutation: Your Excellency

Dr. M. Javad Zarif
Ambassador to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10017, United States
Email: jzarif@un.int
Fax: +1-212-867-7086
Salutation: Your Excellency

Women’s rights activists sentenced to prison for threatening “national security”

April 19, 2007

Fariba Davoudi Mohajer and Sussan Tahmasebi, two of the eleven women’s rights activists summoned by the Revolutionary Court, were sentenced to prison on April 18 for threatening “national security.” The two activists were organizers of the peaceful protest on June 12, 2006 and the “One Million Signatures” campaign demanding an end to discriminatory laws against women. Davoudi Mohajer, who was tried in absentia as she is currently abroad, was sentenced to one year in prison and three years suspended sentence. Tahmasebi was sentenced to six months in jail and one and a half years suspended sentence. Their lawyers are appealing the sentences. We will keep you updated on developments as we receive them.

'One Million Signatures Campaign': Two Iranian Women Activists Released; 11 Others Summoned to Revolutionary Court

April 17, 2007

We are pleased to share with you that Mahboubeh Hosseinzadeh and Nahid Keshavarz, activists in the One Million Signatures Campaign, arrested on April 2nd, were released from Evin prison on April 15th. They were incarcerated for nearly two weeks for collecting signatures in support of a petition to change discriminatory laws against women in Iran.

The released women activists and campaign members extend their gratitude to all individuals, civic organizations, and human rights and women's rights networks who have supported them and who have helped bring worldwide attention to their struggle.

However, harassment of activists continues. Since this weekend, 11 more of our activist colleagues, have been summoned by the Revolutionary Court and charged with “violating national security,” “publicity against the Islamic Republic,” and “participating in an unauthorized demonstration.”

The Iranian news agency ILNA reported yesterday that Information Minister, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejeie, declared the women’s movement and the students’ movement as “elements of soft subversion” against the regime. In escalating crackdown on women’s rights, the police have announced that starting this Saturday they will begin apprehending women whose dress is deemed to be in violation of the Islamic code. Women wearing short mantos (coats), tight outer garments, and inadequate headscarves will be taken to four centers. Tehran’s deputy head of police Hossein Sadjedi-Nia explained, "They will have to give a written engagement not to repeat the offense and can then leave when their family brings the appropriate clothing."

Further information:
Read the activists' reports from prison about the conditions of female prisoners:

• "All Women are Victims, not Just those in Prison," by Mahboubeh Hosseinzadeh
• "What will they do about the Growing Awareness among female Prisoners and their Guards?" by Nahid Keshavarz
• "New Strategies for Harassment and Intimidation of Women’s Rights Defenders"
• View pictures of the women activists following their release.

Iranian Women's Human Rights Defenders Once Again Targeted and Arrested

April 3, 2007

One of our colleagues and an active member of the One Million Signatures campaign has sent the following update today:

Mahboubeh Hossein Zadeh and Nahid Keshavarz, two members of the One Million Signatures Campaign, who were arrested on Monday April 2nd while collecting signatures in support of a petition to change discriminatory laws against women, were transferred to Evin prison this afternoon. They are currently being held in the 209th section of Evin prison, which is managed by the Security Forces. Three other members of the Campaign, Sara Imanian, Homayoun Nami, and Saiedeh Amin, were released after spending a day in detention at the police station.

Nahid Keshavarz and Mahboubeh Hossein-Zadeh along with the other three arrested individuals were taken to the Revolutionary Courts early today. During their interrogations, these two women's rights defenders were asked to sign a statement agreeing to end their activities in the Campaign and on behalf of women. When they refused to do so, the two women were charged with actions against national security and transferred to Evin Prison.

According to those released today and in short conversations these two women had with family members and other women's rights defenders prior to their transfer to Evin Prison court officers told the women that the demands of the Campaign are in contradiction to the foundations of Islam and as such are seen as actions against the state. Specifically they were told that the demands of the Campaign with respect to equal rights to inheritance for women, equal value on testimony of men and women, equal financial remuneration for bodily injury or death (or blood money), and the elimination of polygamy (currently men are allowed by law to marry up to 4 permanent wives and unlimited temporary wives) were in contradiction to the tenants of Islam.

Mahboubeh Hossein-Zadeh and Nahid Keshavarz are both women's human rights defenders, and active members of the Campaign.

• Nahid Keshavarz is a member of the Women's Cultural Center and provides regular news reports and articles for the website of this leading women's NGO www.herlandmag.info and the site of the Campaign www.weforchange.net. Nahid is a sociologist and also a regular contributor to other leading publications.
• Mahboubeh Hossein-Zadeh is a member of the Iran CSOs Training and Research Center www.koneshgaran.net, which was recently shut down by Security Forces. She served as a journalist for the website of this leading NGO engaged in capacity building for civil society. She has been a journalist with reformist dailies for 7 years.

Both Nahid and Mahboubeh are members of the media committee of the Campaign, which is charged with information sharing and reporting of developments in the Campaign.

The One Million Signatures Campaign started its activities in July 2007, and seeks to provide education on legal rights of women at the grassroots level with a view toward changing discriminatory laws against women. Along these lines, the Campaign collects signatures in support of its aims, which it plans to submit to the Parliament. Despite claims by Security Forces denying that they have a problem with the Campaign, the members of this peaceful movement have been targeted from the start with threats, arrests and harassment (for more info on this read: http://weforchange.net/english/spip.php?article10). This is the first overt effort on the part of the Security Forces against the Campaign and its members. Prior to this development, the Security Forces had continually claimed that they had no problems with the Campaign, its strategies or aim.

Links with pictures--Nahid is on the right and Mahboubeh is on the left: http://herlandmag.info/news/07,04,03,05,04,50/

Two Women's Rights Activists Released even as Crackdown on Iranian Civil Society Escalates

March 20, 2007

Two prominent Iranian women’s rights activists, arrested at a peaceful protest on March 4 (scroll down for more information), were released on March 19. Shadi Sadr and Mahboubeh Abasgholizadeh were charged with acting against national security and holding an illegal assembly for their role in organizing the March 4 protest against the increasing government pressure on civil society activists and, in particular, the trial of five women activists who organized a peaceful protest for women’s rights on June 12, 2006.

Sadr and Abasgholizadeh were released from Evin Prison on 200 million toumans (about $215,000) bail each. The two women spent 16 days in detention, 10 of which were in solitary confinement.

The crackdown on civil society continues to escalate throughout the country. At least eight women were arrested at a peaceful protest to celebrate International Women’s Day in Sanandaj, the capital of Kordestan province. Most were released shortly afterwards except for a journalist, Aso Saleh, who is still being detained.

In August 2006, Iranian women’s rights activists launched the “One Million Signatures” campaign to demand an end to discriminatory laws against women. Please support the campaign.

The escalating government harassment of civil society has expanded to include the closure of NGOs and the detention of teachers. Dozens of teachers remain in prison following a peaceful demonstration on March 14 to demand pay raises. At least three civil society organizations have been closed down. The Iranian NGOs Training Center, founded by Abasgholizadeh, and RAAHI: Women’s Center for Legal Counselling, directed by Sadr, were closed and sealed shut on March 15. Another organization, the Iranian CSOs Training and Research Center (also known as Koneshgaran Davtalab), which played a critical role in defending those arrested after the March 4 protest, was also shut down.

To express your solidarity with the activists and to demand an end to the harassment of civil society activists and organizations, please write to:

Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Iran
Email: info@leader.ir
Fax: +98 21 649-5880/21 774-2228
Salutation: Your Excellency

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi
Head of the Judiciary
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Tehran
Iran
Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com
Fax : +98 21 879-6671
Salutation: Your Excellency

Dr. M. Javad Zarif
Ambassador to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10017
United States
Email: jzarif@un.int
Fax: +1-212-867-7086
Salutation: Your Excellency

Iranian Women Activists Arrested

March 9, 2007 Update

The Iranian authorities released all but two of the women’s rights activists jailed on Sunday. The women who were released were warned not to attend protests marking International Women’s Day. The two who remain in detention –Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh – are being held in solitary confinement. They continue to be detained for reportedly organizing and leading the protest on March 4.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Parliament in Tehran on March 8 to mark International Women’s Day. Security forces attacked and broke up the gathering.

(Scroll down to read the alert from March 7th.)

March 7, 2007

Thirty-three of our colleagues and partners in the Iranian women’s movement were arrested on Sunday, March 4 outside of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. They were staging a peaceful protest against the increasing government pressure on civil society activists and, in particular, the trial of five women activists charged with “endangering national security, agitating against the government, and taking part in illegal gatherings” because they had organized a peaceful protest for women’s rights on June 12, 2006. Four of them who were present at the trial were arrested with the demonstrators as they were leaving the court.

There are varying reports of police violence at the protest. One woman said that the police tried to intimidate the activists, using obscene words and insulting gestures. The thirty-three women leaders were detained in Eshratabad Prison for ten hours before being transferred to Section 209 of Evin Prison. Eight of the youngest detainees were released without charges on March 6. The detention occurred just ahead of the planned gathering in front of the Parliament on March 8, in honor of International Women’s Day.

In August 2006, Iranian women’s rights activists launched the “One Million Signatures” campaign to demand an end to discriminatory laws against women. Please support the campaign by clicking here.

To express your solidarity with the activists and to demand the immediate release of the detainees, please write to:

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street
Qom
Iran
Email: info@leader.ir and istiftaa@wilayah.org
Salutation: Your Excellency

Dr. M. Javad Zarif
Ambassador to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10017
Email: jzarif@un.int
Salutation: Your Excellency