Amnesty International reacts to the arrest of activist Mojgan Keshavarz, who protested against compulsory hijab
Amnesty International reacted to and condemned the arrest of Mojgan Keshavarz, a civil activist and protester against compulsory hijab.
Amnesty International reported on Friday, May 26, that, based on videos published on social media, Mojgan Keshavarz, along with two other civil society activists named "Monireh Arabshahi and Yasman Ariani," peacefully protested Iran's discriminatory and humiliating mandatory hijab laws in the Tehran metro by removing her headscarf and scattering flowers, and spoke about her dream of abolishing mandatory hijab and women's solidarity on International Women's Day (March 8).
Mojgan Keshavarz, a civil activist and protester of compulsory hijab, was arrested on Thursday, May 25, in front of her 9-year-old daughter and taken to an unknown location.
Based on available information, it is possible that Ms. Keshavarz was arrested for this reason.
According to Amnesty International, criminalizing women for not wearing the hijab is an extreme form of gender discrimination and a cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment that deeply violates women’s human dignity. Iranian authorities must stop harassing, prosecuting and imprisoning women who speak out against this cruel injustice.
On Wednesday, April 11, actress and civil rights activist Yasman Ariani was arrested by officers, and a day later, on Thursday, April 12, her mother, Monireh Arabshahi, was also arrested and sent to prison. The reason for the arrests is said to be that they celebrated International Women's Day by giving flowers to women in the Tehran Metro.
Last March, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo honored Iranian women for their efforts to fight against forced hijab at the State Department’s “Women of Courage Award” ceremony. Mr. Pompeo also met with Masih Alinejad in February to “support the Iranian people and amplify their voices.”
Earlier, Amnesty International called on the Iranian authorities to end the harassment, intimidation, arrest, and imprisonment of women's rights defenders who peacefully protest against the degrading and discriminatory mandatory hijab laws, and to immediately and unconditionally release women's rights defenders who have been detained on this basis.
Source: Voice of America
