Support Iranian Activists Detained for Demanding Women’s Rights
On June 12th, a peaceful demonstration of Iranian men and women in Tehran, held to call for an end to discriminatory laws against women, turned violent as police used force to disperse the gathering. A number of women and girls were beaten and 70 people, including 28 men, were arrested. Policewomen were used for the first time, pitting women against women.
Most of the detainees have been released, yet Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini, head of the Alumni Association of Iran, a former student leader and Member of Parliament who has been a leading critic of the government’s human rights practices for several years, remains in detention.
In the days leading up the demonstration, authorities harassed and arrested many prominent women’s rights activists, and threatened organizations supportive of the rally. Shirin Ebadi is now Mr. Mousavi Khoini’s attorney and reports “he remains in prison without permission to see visitors. He is ill and needs his medication.” Ebadi has also accepted the case of some of the women who were beaten and imprisoned following the June 12 demonstration.
Send a message to the Iranian authorities in support of the demonstrators demanding equality of men and women before the law, and call on the Iranian government to release Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini immediately and unconditionally. Urge an end to the persecution of nonviolent activists expressing their rights to free speech and assembly, and an investigation into the police beatings.
TAKE ACTION
See the Defender Alert and sample letter at Human Rights First.
