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, [email protected]

• President, His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98.21.649.5880, [email protected]

• 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, [email protected]

• 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, [email protected]

• 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