Women's rights activists jailed in Iran

international | gender and sexuality | other press

Monday December 17, 2007 10:44

by Maryjane O'Leary - HOPI

Cyber feminist, Jelve Javaheri, locked up in Tehran.

Here is a report on the continuing detention of womens rights activists in Iran and a call for action on their behalf.

Human rights groups and journalists across the globe have condemned the arrest of cyber feminists, Jelve Javaheri and Maryam Hossienkhah in Iran earlier this month. Both of these women are activists and members of the One Million Signatures campaign. They are currently in Evin Prison on charges related to their writings in support of women’s rights.

Jelve Javaheri is a feminist and member of the One Million Signatures campaign aimed at forcing the regime to acknowledge women's rights in Iran. She was taken to Evin prison earlier this month following hours of interrogation at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran and was charged with "disruption of public opinion", "propaganda against the state", and "publication of lies" due to her work with the One Million Signatures website. Campaigner and journalist Maryam Hosseinkhah remains in continued detention since her arrest on November 18 on charges of disruption of public opinion and publication of lies.

Contact the following people and ask that they:

1. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Jelveh and Maryam as well as all activists in the Million Signatures campaign;

2. Release Jelveh and Maryam immediately and unconditionally, their detention is arbitrary as it merely aims at sanctioning their activities in favour of women’s human rights;

3. Drop all arbitrary charges against all women’s rights defenders involved in the One Million Signatures campaign.

• Leader of the Islamic Republic, His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader, Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98.21.649.5880 / 21.774.2228, info@leader.ir

• President, His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98.21.649.5880, dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

• Head of the Judiciary, His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98.21.879.6671 / +98 21 3 311 6567 / +98 21 3 390 4986, Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com

• Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Manuchehr Motaki, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Av, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98.21.390.1999, matbuat@mfa.gov

• Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran, His Excellency Mohammad Javad Larijani, C/o Office of the Deputy for International Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building, Panzdah-Khordad (Ark) Square, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 5 537 8827

More information at:
http://www.we4change.info/english/spip.php?article180

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HRW Issues Statement Demanding Release of Women’s Rights Defenders

by pat c

Tue Dec 18, 2007 16:26

HRW has added its voice to those who are supporting these imprisoned Womens Rights Activists.

Iran should drop politically motivated charges against two women’s rights activists facing trial this week because of their participation in a peaceful protest, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should release Jelveh Javahari and Maryam Hosseinkhah without delay.

Human Rights Watch learned that court officials have set court dates of December 18 and 19 to try Javaheri and Hosseinkhah on charges stemming from their involvement in a March 4 peaceful gathering to protest the prosecution of other women’s rights activists.They were among 26 women arrested at that time and released from detention over the following weeks.

However, authorities have been holding Hosseinkhah and Javeheri in Unit 3 of the general women’s ward of Evin prison since November 17 and December 1, respectively, on separate charges relating to their peaceful activities on behalf of the One Million Signatures Campaign to End Discrimination Against Women.

Full text at:

ASA Issues Statement in Support of Jelve Javaheri

Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:23

Writing on behalf of its 14,000 members, the American Association of Sociologists issued a statement today, requesting the freedom of university students in Iran, who have been arrested in recent months. The statement went further to demand the release of Jelve Javaheri, an active member of the Campaign and student of Sociology at the Masters level at Alzahra University, who was arrested in relation to her writings in support of women’s rights on December 1, 2007.

The full statement is at:

http://www.we4change.info/english/spip.php?article192

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Women's rights activists jailed in Iran

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