Iranian Civil Activists Call for Immediate Release of Women’s Rights Activists from Prison
One hundred civil activists living in Iran issued a statement calling for an immediate halt to arrests, threats, and pressure against women’s rights activists, as well as the unconditional and collateral-free release of imprisoned women’s rights activists in Iran.
According to reports published on social media, the statement, signed by individuals including “Nahid Khodajou,” “Golrokh Ebrahimi Irayi,” “Ansieh Daemi,” “Amir Chamani,” and “Mehdieh Golroo,” states: “Raiding the homes of activists and arresting (abducting) them on the streets, at work, and through telephone threats is not an appropriate response to demands for equality and human living standards to achieve a better world!”
In another section of the statement, these activists, referring to insecurity and anti-women laws in Iran, declared that Iranian authorities imprison women’s rights activists for their humanitarian work and subject them to prolonged solitary confinement, interrogation, and torture, while imposing heavy bail amounts for their temporary release. They are also deprived of the most basic human rights such as having a lawyer and defending themselves, as well as visits and phone contact.
In recent months, several women’s rights activists have been arrested by security forces and transferred to prison.
Maryam Mohammadi, one of the members of “Women’s Voice of Iran,” is one of the detained individuals. She was arrested on the 17th of Tir by security forces at her home and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist and opponent of mandatory hijab, was arrested on Saturday, June 1st in Tehran and transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. However, on Tuesday, July 2nd, she was transferred from Qarchak Prison in Varamin to an unknown location. It is reported that this transfer was made to continue interrogations and pressure the detainee to appear on television interviews.
Additionally, “Nahid Shaghaqi,” a women’s and children’s rights activist who delivered speeches in seminars organized by “Women’s Voice of Iran” in recent years about violence against women, was arrested on Wednesday, May 15th following a raid by security forces on her home and the breaking down of her door. She was transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
In February of last year, Amnesty International, in a report, called 2018 a “year of shame” for the Islamic Republic and announced that 112 women’s rights activists were arrested in Iran that year.
Source: Voice of America
