"Ms. Peyqambarzadeh’s case is indicative of a set of increasingly alarming judicial practices in response to the continuation of the campaign for women’s legal equality - called One Million Signatures[1] - that began in August 2006", stated Mr. Karim Lahidji, the Vice-president of FIDH and President of the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI).
Ms. Peyqambarzadeh’s arrest came after she was summoned on May 5, 2007 to appear before the Revolutionary Court within three business days in relation to a previous arrest following the March 4, 2007 non-violent demonstrations before International Women’s Day[2]. Neither she nor her lawyer were able to see a written summons and, in addition, the Court detained her without presenting any charges.
When Ms. Peyqambarzadeh appeared before the court on May 7, 2007, a high bail of 20 million tomans (roughly 16,000€) was promptly set for her, and, unable to pay it, she was sent to Evin prison in Tehran. When, on May 9, her father first attempted to pay the bail, he was rebuffed by the court and denied permission to see his daughter. The arbitrary handling of this case by the Revolutionary Court’s own standards, as in the case of setting a bail and then not accepting it, is an issue of grave concern.
With help from the families of other members of the campaign, Ms. Peyqambarzadeh’s bail was met and finally accepted by the Revolutionary Court following an additional week in prison after her father’s first attempt to pay the bail. "Upon being released, she confirmed that she was not interrogated or presented with any reasons for her detention", said Mr. Lahidji.
The Observatory welcomes Ms. Peyqambarzadeh’s release on bail, but recalls that this particular arrest and imprisonment illustrates a trend within the Islamic Republic in which the courts imprison activists without trial, without publicly-revealed basic evidence and sometimes even without charges.
In recent weeks, activists Ms. Noushin Ahmadi-Khorasani, Ms. Parvin Ardalan, Ms. Fariba Davoudi-Mohajer, Ms. Sousan Tahmasebi, Ms. Azadeh Forghani and Ms. Shahla Entesari have been charged with and sentenced for "gathering and colluding to disturb national security", "disturbing public order" and "disobeying the orders of officials"[3]. Two more organizers of the campaign, Ms. Maryam Hosseinkhah and Ms. Fatemeh Govaraie, were also summoned to court and in the pattern of recent convictions, they might be charged with violating national security.
"The use of national security laws to curb freedom of expression is an ominous trend not only for the future of this particular campaign for gender equality but for the very future of free speech in Iran", concluded Mr. Eric Sottas, Executive Director of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).
In light of Ms. Peyqambarzadeh’s release, the Observatory calls upon the Islamic Republic to cease the practice of imposing arbitrary detentions on women’s rights activists and to put an end to the judicial harassment against Ms. Peyqambarzadeh and her colleagues.
Furthermore, the Observatory urges the Iranian authorities to guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of all above-mentioned activists and put an end to all acts of harassment against human rights defenders in Iran.
Finally, the Observatory calls upon the Iranian authorities to conform with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, and to ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Iran.
For more information, please contact :
OMCT: 00 41 22 809 49 39
FIDH: 00 33 1 43 55 25 18
[1] The "One Million Signatures Campaign" started its activities in July 2006, and seeks to provide education on legal rights of women at the grassroots level with a view toward changing discriminatory laws against women. Along these lines, the "Campaign" collects signatures in support of its aims, which it plans to submit to the Parliament.
[2] See Observatory Urgent Appeals IRN 002/0307/OBS 023, 023.1, 023.2, and 023.3, respectively issued on March 5, 8, 20, April 5, 2007.
[3] See Observatory Urgent Appeal IRN 002/0307/OBS 023.4 issued on April 30, 2007.