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Letter to released Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi
Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi has written a letter to her dear friend and colleague Narges Mohammadi, who was arrested in her home by Iranian officials on June 10.
The letter describes the events leading upto Mohammadi's arrest and what has happened to her during and after her detention. She was detained for 3 weeks in Tehran's notorious Evin prison and released on July 1. The arrest is viewed as an attempt to impede her work as a human rights defender.
Click here to read the complete letter in Persian.
Read more »Iranian woman saved from stoning but still faces death
International outcry saved a 43-year-old Iranian woman from death by stoning last week, but her life remains in jeopardy. Iranian officials announced on Friday that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani would not be stoned, but she may still be executed by other means.
Women activists, politicians, and celebrities mobilized this week calling for Ashtiani's release and an end to stoning. Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi, online publisher Arianna Huffington, and Yoko Ono joined an urgent online petition that recieved close to 1,000 signatures per hour on Thursday night.
Read more »Iran marks election anniversary with more arrests
UPDATE: Narges Mohammadi was released from Evin prison on July 1 after three weeks in detention. She fell ill while in prison and was hospitalized on July 3. Read more.
Iranian authorities arrested human rights defender Narges Mohammadi in her home on June 10 in an attempt to stop the work of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre. Mohammadi is the Vice President of the independent organization founded by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi.
The arrest came on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the disputed June 12 election. Since returning to power, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has continued to suppress political opposition with extreme violence and repression.
Read more »Shirin Ebadi to UN High Commissioner: Detention of Human Rights Defenders in Iran is Illegal
Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi has written an open letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, decrying illegal detentions in Iran. The letter outlines the cases of a number of imprisoned human rights defenders, including women's activist Narges Mohammadi, all detained for their participation in human rights activities. Ebadi warned that "the continuation of such circumstances will lead to a growing violation of human rights, escalation of the current tension in Iranian society and intensification of the social crises in the country".
Read the letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human rights (English / Farsi ).
Read more »Shirin Ebadi defamed on Iranian state television
Shirin Ebadi has become the latest victim of the Iranian governments use of forced video confessions to defame and de-legitimize its opponents.
On June 10, Iranian state television broadcast a heavily-edited video that showed Ebadi's husband, Javad Tavasolian, filmed while under arrest in 2009. Tavasolian was physically and psychologically abused during his detainment, and coerced into making defamatory remarks against Ebadi.
The interrogation video was broadcast on the very same day that the Iranian Republic committed to the protection of human rights defenders at a UN council meeting in Geneva. Televised video confessions are frequently shown on national television as a means of harassing political opponents and public convicting them for their "crimes."
Read more »Iran must release all journalists and political prisoners
Meet Jila Baniyaghoub. She is a veteran journalist, editor-in-chief of the website Women in Iran and a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign.
Iranian authorities have imprisoned Baniyaghoub numerous times for her reporting on peaceful demonstrations and human rights. This week, the Iranian government sentenced her to a one-year prison term and a thirty-year ban from journalistic activities.
She is not alone. Since last year's elections, Iran has arrested at least 170 journalists and bloggers--including 32 women. On the anniversary of last years election this Saturday, June 12, join the voices in Iran and around the world calling for the release of Jila Baniyaghoub. She--and the 2,500 political prisoners in Iran--should be free.
Read more »Millions to highlight anniversary of elections in Iran on June 12
Meet Bahareh Hedayat. She is one of the over 2,500 prisoners of conscience currently being detained by the Iranian government.
This Saturday, June 12 marks the one-year anniversary of the fraudulent elections in Iran that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. Since that day, the Iranian regime has taken drastic measures to silence every act of political opposition with violent crackdowns and gross human rights violations.
Read more »Shirin Ebadi calls for immediate investigation of Iran human rights abuses
A group of Iranian political and social activists signed a letter of appeal this month demanding that UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay urgently dispatch Special Rapporteurs on human rights to the country.
The letter followed news of the execution of five political prisoners earlier this month. The individuals were accused of membership in "anti-Revolutionary" organizations. Since the June presidential elections, over 80 opposition activists sentenced to prison terms of up to 15 years, and a dozen face death sentences.
Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi joined the call, urging Pillay to send Rapporteurs to investigate instances of torture, arbitrary detention and execution in the post-election period. The signatories argued that a visit by UN experts was a "matter of urgency," and that their presence may "prevent more tragic life losses."
Read more »Iran drops Human Rights Council bid; seizes Commission on the Status of Women nod
Iran has dropped its bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council amidst strong global criticism. This opposition has been driven by Iranian and global human rights activists, including Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi. In an open letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Members of the UN General Assembly, Ebadi outlined the Islamic Republic of Iran's egregious and constant breaches of international law and international covenants that it has signed onto.
Iranian women's rights campaign wins freedom of expression award
The Change for Equality website has been awarded Reporters Without Borders first-ever "Netizen Prize". Change for Equality is run by Iranian women's rights activists and promotes the One Million Signatures Campaign. The award was presented to one of the founders of the website, Parvin Ardalan, on March 11 by Reporters Without Borders and Google in Paris.
Iranian authorities blocked the website the next day, March 12, which happens to be World Day Against Cyber-Censorship. This is the 23rd time that Change for Equality has been shut down since it was launched in 2006.
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