On January 27, 2007, Ms. Mansoureh Shojaei, Ms. Sedigheh Taghinia (alias Tal’at Taghinia) and Ms. Farnaz Seifi, three journalists at the forefront of the campaign launched last summer on women’s rights in Iran[1], were arrested at the Imam Khomeini Airport, and prevented from leaving the country. They were on their way to India to participate in a journalism workshop, organised by the Shahrzad News website. They were transferred to the 209 section of Evin Prison, in Tehran.
Before their transfer, police officers searched their houses, and seized some of their personal belongings, such as cell phones, computers, books and notes.
The three women were subsequently released on bail on January 28, 2007, in the afternoon, without any official charges against them. Nevertheless, a hearing will take place in two months on the basis of unknown charges.
The Observatory is extremely concerned at this new attack against the campaign launched by Iranian feminist groups last August, asking for the elimination of all forms of legal discrimination against women in Iranian law, and asking the Iranian legislator to review existing laws to ensure their compliance with international human rights conventions ratified by Iran.
The Observatory recalls that earlier this month, the website of the campaign was blocked by the Iranian authorities and fears that in parallel to the growing support for the campaign in Iran, repression against its animators will increase as well (see urgent appeal IRN 001/0107/OBS 003, issued on January 17, 2007).
The Observatory urges the Iranian authorities to put an immediate end to the judicial proceedings against Ms. Mansoureh Shojaei, Ms. Sedigheh Taghinia and Ms. Farnaz Seifi as they aim at dissuading them from being active in the women’s campaign. More generally, the Observatory calls upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to fully respect its international human rights commitments, in particular the rights to freedom of expression and to freedom of information, as provided, in particular, by article 6b of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, which states that “everyone is free (...) to publish, impart or disseminate to other views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms”.
For further information, please contact:
FIDH : Gael Grilhot +0033 1 43 55 25 18
OMCT: Delphine Reculeau + 00 41 22 809 49 39
[1] This campaign on-line was launched by Iranian feminist groups on August 27, 2006, asking for the elimination of all forms of legal discrimination against women in Iranian law, and asking legislators to review and reform existing laws, so that they conform with the government’s commitments to international human rights conventions.