Support Iranian Women's Rights Activists on their National Day of Solidarity

Today marks the second anniversary of a protest held by women's rights activists in Iran. That demonstration was broken up violently by security forces and led to the arrest of 70 men and women. The activists then launched the One Million Signatures Campaign, an unprecedented grass-roots campaign to change gender discrimination in Iranian laws.

They chose June 12 as a national day of solidarity with their campaign, and planned to hold an event today commemorating the protests. However, their gathering was canceled due to threats and when a number of women arrived anyway, security forces blocked the doors. Eight women have reportedly been detained: Nafiseh Azad, Jila Baniyaghoub, Farideh Ghaeb, Jelveh Javaheri, Sarah Loghmani, Nahid Mirhaj, Aida Saadat, and Nasreen Sotoodeh.

Human Rights First has joined over forty international human rights organizations to express support for the defenders. On this anniversary, call on the Iranian government to cease its persecution of the activists, drop any charges against them, and to allow women's rights activists to engage in their rights of assembly and peaceful political expression.

Tell me more

Subject:

Your Excellency:

I am writing to express my concern about the continued persecution of women's rights activists in Iran.

(Edit Letter Below)

It has been two years since June 12, 2006, when women's rights activists attempted to hold a peaceful demonstration to ask for equality.  Although the 70 individuals arrested on that date were released, several activists continue to be harassed and face prosecution in Iran.  A number of activists have been convicted of "endangering national security," for doing nothing more than participating in a peaceful rally or collecting signatures for a petition to reform discriminatory laws.  On June 12, security forces detained eight women who were planning to participate in an event commemorating the second anniversary of the protests.
 
Human rights defenders in Iran should be allowed to engage in activities to advocate for their basic rights.  The activists involved in the One Million Signatures Campaign, in particular, deserve recognition and protection for the efforts to promote gender equality and to make Iranian laws more compliant with international human rights standards.

The rights to peaceful assembly and free expression are enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was endorsed by all U.N. member states, as well as the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory and which is binding on the Iranian government.  Therefore, these prosecutions (including the latest sentencing of Amir Yaghoub Ali on May 25, 2008) are violations of Iran's obligations under international law.

I ask that the government of Iran comply with its obligations to protect citizens exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly, to release those still in detention, and to drop all remaining charges against the activists.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Take Action on this Issue

Send this message to:

Head of the Judiciary H.E. Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei

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