UN rapporteurs express concern about the situation of Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraei
Four senior UN human rights rapporteurs have expressed concern about reports of beatings and inhumane treatment of imprisoned civil society activists Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraei and have warned about the situation of human rights activists in Iran.
UN experts said in a statement on March 19 that Ms. Daemi and Ms. Iraei were transferred from Evin Prison to the city of Rey after reports of inhumane treatment of them were published.
UN monitors say the two civil activists were beaten by guards and then sent to a general ward.
The four say they have tried to discuss the matter with Iranian officials, but these efforts have been unsuccessful.
They have emphasized that the case of these two human rights activists is an example of the ongoing practice of harassment, intimidation, and imprisonment of those who work to defend human rights and support prisoners of conscience in Iran.
The statement was issued by Michelle Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Dubravka Šimović, UN Rapporteur on Violence against Women, David Kay, UN Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Thought, and Nils Mezler, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Inhuman Treatment.
Tehran officials have not yet responded to this statement.
Two weeks ago, Amnesty International criticized the detention conditions of Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraei and called for their immediate and unconditional release. Amnesty International said Ms. Daemi and Ms. Iraei are being held in inadequate and unsanitary conditions and have limited access to the outside world.
It is said that Ms. Iraei had been on a hunger strike for more than a month, but prison authorities have given her a nutritional supplement without her consent.
Ms. Ebrahimi Iraei has been charged with blasphemy for writing an unpublished story about stoning. She has also been charged with propaganda against the regime and has been sentenced to a total of six years in prison.
Atena Daemi was also sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the system, society, and collusion against national security, insulting the leadership, insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, and concealing evidence of a crime,” which was reduced by half on appeal. These charges were reportedly brought against Ms. Daemi due to her peaceful human rights activities, which relate to distributing pamphlets opposing the death penalty and her Facebook and Twitter posts criticizing the situation with executions in Iran.
Source: Radio Farda
