Great news: 2 Iranian women have been released

THANK YOU!
Great news: 2 Iranian women have been released – at least for now

This is an update from Amnesty International Canada’s Urgent Action Network about two Iranian women prisoners of conscience. They are Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh and Shadi Sadr who were released on Tuesday 19 March from Evin Prison, Tehran, on bail of over US$215,000. They were among 33 women detained on 4 March during a protest in Tehran.

Many thanks to all of you who took time to write on behalf of these courageous women!

Thank you for being one of the more than 2,400 Canadians who responded immediately to Amnesty International’s urgent plea last week to write on behalf of these two courageous human rights campaigners in Iran.

Prisoners of conscience Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh and Shadi Sadr were released on Tuesday 19 March from Evin Prison, Tehran, on bail of over US$215,000. They were among 33 women detained on 4 March during a protest in Tehran. Mahboubeh and Shadi had been held in solitary confinement between 6 and 15 March.

While our work here is not done, I’d like to extend my special thanks to you as a member of the Urgent Action Network.

You are the backbone of Amnesty International’s effectiveness.

It’s the incredible response we get to urgent actions like this one that gets Amnesty International heard by governments all around the world! Thank YOU so much for not just reading the message, but for taking the few minutes to say it’s just not acceptable that these women have been imprisoned.

Women like Mahboubeh and Shadi inspire us and deserve our admiration. To know they had been detained in substandard conditions for saying what every member of Amnesty International firmly believes comes as a shock. Amnesty International will continue to put pressure on Iranian officials to secure their release, and we’ll be relentless in defending their right to speak out for a better life for women in Iran.

We continue to watch this case. While thirty-one of the women who were detained as a result of earlier campaigning for women’s rights were released without charge between March 6 th and 9th, they still may face charges at a later date. Some of the women released earlier have described the cells in which they were held as damp and cold, without toilet facilities.

The detainees were apparently forced to sleep on the floor, and were required to share blankets for warmth. Those detained have also reported being blindfolded and interrogated by security forces during the night, depriving them of sleep. They are likely to face trial in the future, possibly on charges including “disturbing public order” and “acting against state security”, but Amnesty International currently has no information as to whether they have yet been formally charged with any offence. Mahboubeh and Shadi had been held in solitary confinement between 6 and 15 March.

On 15 March, the Raahi Legal Centre, a centre founded by Shadi Sadr which provides legal advice for marginalized and under-represented women, and the Non-governmental Organizations Training Centre, founded by Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, were shut down by Revolutionary Court officials. The officials reportedly inspected the premises, took pictures and sealed the offices shut. Another non-governmental organization, Volunteer Activists ( Koneshgaran-e Davtalab ), was also shut down on the same day, and its director Dr Sohrab Razzaghi was interrogated for several hours and had personal property removed from his home by security officials.

If you would like to take further action on this case, please send appeals as soon as you can drawing from the following points:

* welcoming the release on bail of Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh and Shadi Sadr, detained on 4 March during a peaceful demonstration outside Branch 6 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran ;
* expressing concern that they and 31 others detained on the same day may face prosecution in the future;
* calling for all charges to be dropped against anyone charged in connection with the peaceful demonstration on 12 June 2006, or in connection with the peaceful protest on 4 March 2007;
* stating that if anyone is redetained in connection with either of these demonstrations, Amnesty International would consider them to be a prisoner of conscience and would call for their immediate and unconditional release.

If you would like to make a special financial contribution to Amnesty, you can do so using our secure online form.

Thank you again, on behalf of both Amnesty International and these two brave defenders of women’s rights in Iran for sharing our concern, and backing up your beliefs with action.

Sincerely,

Alex Neve, Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada

P.S. If you have any questions about this action or other activities of the Urgent Action Network, as always you can reach Marilyn McKim at urgentaction@amnesty.ca , or by calling 416-363-9933 ext 25.

SEND FOLLOW-UP WRITTEN APPEALS TO:
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei,
Leader of the Islamic Republic
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shahid Keshvar Doost Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 251 7774 2228 (Mark it “For the Office of His Excellency, Ayatollah Khamenei”. If unsuccessful after 2 tries hours apart, mail your appeal.)
Email: Via website, in English: http://www.leader.ir/langs/EN/index.php?p=sendletter
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Intelligence
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence
Second Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency

Thank you!

Amnesty International Canada