UN Reporters Call for Release of Women’s Rights Defenders in Iran
Five UN human rights reporters and experts issued a statement on Thursday, November 29, calling on the Iranian government to guarantee the rights of human rights defenders and lawyers who have been detained in connection with protests against mandatory hijab.
In their statement, these UN reporters emphasized: We call on the government (of Iran) to immediately release those who have been detained for supporting and defending women’s rights.
Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Diego García-Sayán, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Seong-Phil Hong, Chair of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Ivana Radačić, Chair of the UN Working Group on discrimination against women; and Javaid Rehman, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, have signed this statement.
The statement emphasizes: The reporters particularly warn about the serious health condition of Farhad Meisami, a physician who has been detained for supporting women’s rights in protests against mandatory hijab.
Farhad Meisami was arrested on August 30 for supporting a campaign against mandatory hijab. It is reported that he began a hunger strike in detention on September 8 in protest of being denied access to a lawyer. Two months ago, he was forcibly transferred from ward four to the medical section of Evin Prison, and contrary to his wishes, he has been given intravenous fluids.
Farhad Meisami has been charged with “assembly and conspiracy against national security,” “propaganda against the system,” and “promoting and spreading unveiled women.”
UN reporters have expressed deep concern about the lack of fair trial for Farhad Meisami and have called for guaranteeing his rights to continue his hunger strike.
These reporters state that the best way to end Farhad Meisami’s hunger strike is to respond to his demands and engage in good-faith dialogue on this matter.
The reporters expressed concern in another section of their statement regarding the imprisonment of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights activist and lawyer who has defended several women protesting mandatory hijab.
Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on June 13 and, according to reports, has been sentenced to five years in prison in a case decided in absentia on October 4, 2016.
UN reporters also protested the arbitrary detention of Reza Khandan, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband.
Reza Khandan, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband, was also arrested on the morning of Tuesday, September 3.
Source: Radio Farda
