Iran urged to overturn sentences against women activists

international | gender and sexuality | other press

Tuesday May 20, 2008 18:42

by pat c

Amnesty has once more taken up the cases of women activists who have been persecuted in Iran., some of them were beaten whilst in custody. Others have now been sentenced to flogging. Their only crime is to campaign for womens rights. Full text at link.

Amnesty International has written to the Head of the Judiciary in Iran, urging him to ensure that appeals hearings against the convictions and sentences of six women’s rights defenders (WRDs) passed in recent weeks in connection with their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association are heard promptly and impartially. If the sentences are confirmed at appeal, the organization is calling on the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, to review the cases and to overturn the convictions of the women, all of whom will become prisoners of conscience if imprisoned.

The organisation also urged the Head of the Judiciary to ensure that the flogging sentences imposed on the women are not implemented under any circumstances. Flogging is a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, which amounts to torture, and is outlawed under Article 7 of the ICCPR.

The six women received suspended sentences between February and May 2008, in connection with their participation in a peaceful gathering on 4 March 2007 outside a court where five women’s rights activists were on trial for their involvement in an earlier demonstration in June 2006 demanding an end to discriminatory legislation. Thirty-three women in total were arrested at that time. All have been prosecuted under vaguely-worded laws on “security offences”.

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Iran launches 'fresh crackdown on websites'

Wed May 21, 2008 18:29

Iranian authorities have blocked access to several websites and blogs of women's rights advocates and journalists critical of the government. The move follows a new directive sent out by a committee tasked with identifying illegal websites to ISPs according to reformist newspaper Etemad Melli.

"There seems to be a tougher approach this time as some sites and weblogs belonging to women's rights and human rights campaigners, writers critical of the government and well-known journalists" have been singled out, it said.

ISPs in Iran have in recent years been told to block access to hundreds of political, human rights and women's sites and weblogs for expressing dissent . The report said several feminist websites including Meydaan-e Zanan (Women's Field), Kanoon Zanan Irani (Iranian Women's Centre), Shir Zanan which covers women's sporting events, and "Change for Equality" have been blocked.

The ban has targeted the "One Million Signatures" campaign websites launched in different Iranian cities as well as in Germany, Kuwait, Cyprus and California in the United States, the report said. The campaign seeks to change the Islamic republic's laws for women in marriage, divorce, inheritance and child custody by collecting signatures online and in person.

The ban has also targeted popular social networking sites and news sites, while several cyber journalists and bloggers have been detained.

Full story at link.

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Iran urged to overturn sentences against women activists

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