Do Signature Campaign Activists Belong on Trial?

Campaign for Women Rights Iran – WNN Features

Attorney, former Iran court judge and Nobel Peace Laureate, Shirin Ebadi, speaks at WSIS - World Summit of Information Society summit 2005 Image: Rik Panganiban

(WNN) TEHRAN: “The Iranian government has been asked to drop charges against four women’s rights defenders facing imminent trial, and set aside other convictions for peaceful activities to promote equal rights for women in Iran,” said humanitarian defender, Human Rights First, in a July 17 plea.

On July 14, human rights defenders Nasrin Sotoudeh and Mansoureh Shojaee appeared before the Revolutionary Court with their attorney, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. Nasrin Sotoudeh is an attorney who has represented a number of the activists involved with the One Million Signatures Campaign, which was launched in August 2006 to raise awareness about gender discrimination in Iranian laws. Sotoudeh and Shojaee have been charged with acting against Iran’s “national security” by having unauthorized relations with “Iranians outside the country.”

Two other activists facing charges are Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi, who have been summoned to appear before the 13th Branch of the Revolutionary Court on Monday, July 20. Both women were arrested on February 14 while collecting signatures on behalf of the One Million Signatures Campaign at Daneshjoo Park in Tehran and were detained for about two weeks before being released on bail.

“The Iranian government should immediately drop all charges against these women and end the official campaign of repression against peaceful activists like them,” said Matt Easton, Director of the Human Rights Defenders Program at Human Rights First.

In addition, on July 13, student activist Bahareh Hedayat was arrested and taken to Evin Prison. Hedayat had previously received a two-year suspended sentence for participation in a women’s rights demonstration on June 12, 2006. Hedayat’s arrest is one of nearly two dozen in connection with the anniversary of the July 1999 student protests.

These arrests are just part of a crackdown against women’s rights activists that intensified two years ago with the violent break-up of a demonstration in support of gender equality on June 12, 2006. The trend has continued with the repression of individuals active with the One Million Signatures Campaign, including 44 arrests.

Human Rights First is deeply concerned about a series of recent judicial proceedings taken against human rights defenders, notably the recent conviction and sentencing of a 21 year-old student, Hana Abdi, to a prison term of five years. Abdi, a member of Azarmehr, a women’s rights organization in the Kurdistan province who was also involved with the campaign, has been detained since November 4, 2007, when she was arrested by seven security officers from her grandfather’s home in Sanandaj. She was charged with “gathering and colluding to threaten national security” under article 610 of the Islamic Penal Code. Her sentence, one of the harshest to have been meted to a women’s rights activist, is the maximum sentence allowed in such cases.

“The actions of the Iranian government violate the rights of defenders and intimidate others from further action,” said Easton . “The One Million Signatures Campaign is a non-violent way to seek much-needed change, not a threat to law and order.”

Timeline of events:

June 12, 2006

Demonstrators gathered at the Haft Tir Square in Tehran to raise awareness about gender discrimination in Iran. The peaceful demonstration was violently disrupted by the authorities; 42 women and 28 men were arrested and charged with “participation in an illegal assembly.” Prior to the June 12 demonstration, Iranian judiciary summoned and interrogated several women’s rights activists: Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan, Sussan Tahmassebi, Zohreh Arzani, and Fariba Davoodi Mohajer. Fariba Davoodi Mohajer was interrogated for 10 hours by the judiciary agents.

June 19, 2006

Of the 70 protesters arrested during the June 12 demonstration, only Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini, a former member of the parliament, remained in custody. He was detained for over four months and tortured.

June 2006

Delaram Ali and other injured demonstrators filed a complaint against the police for brutally beating demonstrators during the June 12, 2006 demonstration. In October of 2007, a court dismissed all charges against the police officers present at the demonstration.

Aug. 2006

Campaign to collect 1 million signatures is commenced calling for an end to discrimination of women in Iran.

Aug. 27, 2006

The official launch of the One Million Signature Campaign is blocked by the authorities; however, activists continued to collect signatures.

January 5, 2007

Jila Baniyaghoob was charged for “acting against national security by participating in an illegal gathering,” due to her presence at the June 12, 2006 demonstration. The presiding judge subsequently dropped charges.

January 2007

Nasim Sarabandi and Fatemeh Dehdashti were arrested while collecting signatures on the metro in Tehran. They were sentenced on August 12, 2007 to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Feb. 2007

30,000 women have signed the petition since the official Campaign kickoff in August of 2006.

March 4, 2007

26 prominent women’s rights activists were arrested during a gathering marking the International Women’s Day. Two days later, the women started a hunger strike while Shahla Entesari was being held in solitary confinement.

March 4, 2007

33 women were arrested during a silent protest in front of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran where four women were prosecuted for their involvement with the June 12, 2006 demonstration. Following international pressure, all of the women were released, the last two on March 19, 2007.

March 6, 2007

Eight youngest detainees arrested on March 4, 2007 were released without being charged.

April 11, 2007

Azadeh Forghani was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for “acting against national security by participating in an illegal gathering.”

April 15, 2007

Mahboubeh Hosseinzadeh and Nahid Keshavarz, two women’s rights activists, were released out of prison following a two week incarceration. However, additional 11 activists were summoned by the Revolutionary Court and charged with “violating national security,” “publicity against the Islamic Republic,” and “participating in an unauthorized demonstration.”

April 18, 2007

Fariba Davoodi Mohajer and Sussan Tahmassebi were sentenced on April 18 to four years’ imprisonment for “collusion and assembly to endanger the national security” and “acting against national security,” respectively. The courts have suspended three years of Davoodi Mohajer’s sentence, leaving her to serve one year in prison. Sussan Tahmassebi’s sentence has been shortened from two years to six months. Presently, both women are free on bail pending court appeals.

April 23, 2007

Two more women’s activists were sentenced to prison, reportedly charged with “gathering and colluding to disturb national security,” “disturbing public order” and “disobeying the orders of officials.”

April 24, 2007

Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Shahla Entesari, and Parvin Ardalan were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for “collusion and assembly to endanger the national security.” The courts have suspended two-and-a-half years of each sentence, leaving all three to serve six months in prison.

May 14, 2007

Activists protested the arrest of Zeinab Peyghambarzadeh, a women’s rights activist, journalist and student leader, who was arrested on May 7, 2007.

June 2007

Delaram Ali was sentenced to 34 months imprisonment and 10 lashes on charges of “participating in an illegal garthering,” “propaganda against the system,” and “disrupting public order and peace.” Due to domestic and international outcry, her sentence was temporarily stayed by the Head of Judiciary on November 10, 2007.

July 11, 2007

Amir Yaghoub-Ali, a 20-year old student, was arrested and held for a month for collecting signatures as part of the One Million Signature Campaign.

August 27, 2007

The One Million Signature Campaign celebrated its first anniversary.