Rights Group Calls On Iran To Release Women’s Rights Activists
Rights Group Calls On Iran To Release Women’s Rights Activists
Amnesty International has demanded that the Iranian regime stop harassing, arresting and imprisoning peaceful protesters advocating for an end to the “degrading and discriminatory” compulsory hijab laws in the country, as well as immediately and unconditionally releasing those already detained on this basis.
Two women’s rights defenders – Yasmin Aryani and Monireh Arabshahi – have been detained for their peaceful activism in the past week, while Vida Movahedi, who was thrown in jail in October, was sentenced last month to one year in prison for her peaceful protest.
In addition, the suppressive security forces have made threatening phone calls to several other women’s rights activists to say that they will be arrested if they continue to campaign against forced veiling or to summon them for questioning, which often translates to being jailed.
AI also reiterated in its statement, “Iran’s intelligence and security bodies have also subjected several other women’s rights defenders to threatening telephone calls, warning them that they will be arrested if they continue to campaign against forced veiling. Some have been summoned for questioning and fear imminent arrest.”
Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International, said: “Iran’s authorities appear to be lashing out in response to the increased defiance displayed by Iranian women and the growing peaceful popular movement against forced veiling laws in a bid to intimidate them into silence and submission.”
She described the criminalization of women and girls for not adhering to the hijab as a “cruel, inhuman and degrading” form of gender-based discrimination, which “damages women’s dignity”. She called on the Iranian authorities to release all women’s rights defenders detained for peaceful activism.
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Read More; IHRM
Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights