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Around 11:30 a.m. Friday, July 17th Shadi Sadr, a lawyer and
prominent women's rights activist working with the One
Million Signatures Campaign, was arrested by plain clothes
security officers and taken to an undisclosed location. The men
pulled her into a car as she walked along a busy road, and beat her as
she struggled to escape.
Shadi Sadr was arrested in an entirely
illegal manner on Keshavarz Blvd when she was en route with her friends
to attend the Friday Prayers. One of Shadi’s friends has provided an
account of what took place, stating:
We were heading towards Keshavarz Blvd,
not even reaching the middle of the boulevard, when someone approached me
and said, “You’re coming with me. The others go.” Shadi and I were
looking at him with surprise, and one of the motorists said to him, “Not
that one, this one.” They were dressed in civilian clothes (probably
security forces) and went towards Shadi. Shadi was shaken up and taken by
surprise. Suddenly she was then taken away and kept in a Peugeot car. Me
and a friend started to yell, “Where are you taking her?!!” That’s also
when Shadi tried to struggle and started to cry for help, pounding the
car door. My friend then tried to open the door, and we were pulling
Shadi out but an official who was inside the car was grabbing onto her.
He was pulling onto her in such a way that her manteau (overcoat) was
coming off but one of my friends still held onto Shadi’s hand and her blouse
and pants that were once intact started to come off when caught in the
car. At that time she escaped. The officials in civilian clothing and
also me and my friend were running after her. It was then one of the
officials from the opposite side attacked her and was pulling onto her
scarf. Shadi was resisting his force when the scarf came undone. Shadi
again escaped. This time two other people appeared unexpectedly, one of
them carrying a spiral baton. They took Shadi and beat her violently
while she continued to resist them. We weren’t allowed to go towards her.
By force they had taken her and put her in the car. The official
manhandled Shadi and it was apparent that for them, her hejab wasn’t even
important!! When they brought her to the car, they didn’t even give her
the scarf back. The car turned around and sped away. It’s true that no
one, other than me and my friend did anything. Maybe if we were more in
number, we wouldn’t have let them take her.
Shadi wanted to give her bag to us when the
motorist shouted from afar “Keep hold of her bag!” Everyone became
shocked that they couldn’t react. We have never seen an official order or
identification from these paramilitary forces and we have no idea who
they are.
Shadi Sadr, lawyer and journalist, was
the director of Raahi, a legal advice centre for women until it was
closed down. She founded Zanan-e Iran (Women of Iran), the first website
dedicated to the work of Iranian women's rights activists and has written extensively about
Iranian women and their legal rights. She has represented activists and
journalists, several women sentenced to execution, whose convictions were
subsequently overturned. She is
also involved in Women's Field (http://www.meydaan.com), a group of
women's rights activists who have launched several campaigns to defend
women's rights, including the "Stop Stoning Forever" Campaign.
Background
:
Shadi Sadr was among 33 women arrested in
March 2007. Most had gathered
outside a Tehran courtroom to protest peacefully against the trial of
five women – Fariba Davoudi Mohajer, Shahla Entesari, Noushin Ahmadi
Khorassani, Parvin Ardalan and Sussan Tahmasebi – who were accused of
“propaganda against the system”, “acting against national security” and
“participating in an illegal
demonstration” in connection with the 12
June 2006 demonstration. Four of those on trial were also among those
arrested, along with Shadi Sadr, a lawyer. Initially held in the Vozara
detention centre, some were later transferred to Evin Prison. Most were
released after several days, but Shadi Sadr and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh
– who is also involved in the "Stop Stoning Forever" Campaign –
were held for over two weeks before being released on bail.
At a Revolutionary Court session in
August 2007, which their lawyer was not allowed to attend and during which they were also questioned about
their NGOs and their activities in the “Stop Stoning
Forever”campaign,
they were charged with illegal assembly, collusion against national
security, disruption of public order and refusal to obey the orders of
the police.
The recent political protests have brought
on increased persecution of women's rights activists, who have been
regularly arrested and harassed since 2006 for peacefully advocating for
their equal rights before the law. They have faced charges such as
"acting against the national security of the state,"
"propaganda against the state," and "disrupting public
opinion" and, most recently, for membership in the One Million
Signatures campaign itself. Many are serving suspended sentences, and
face regular harassment and persecution by the government.
Call upon all human rights activists and
organizations to speak out in defense of Shadi Sadr and all those who
are being unjustly persecuted.
LETTER
[Your name here]
Your Excellency,
I am deeply concerned following reports that human rights lawyer
Mrs Shadi Sadr, was arrested on Friday 17 July
2009, at around 11:30 a.m.
Our colleague Shadi Sadr was abducted by a group of officers in
civilian clothes while she was walking on Keshavarz Boulevard, Tehran, to
a mosque for Friday prayers. According to an eye-witness account, her
friends tried to pull her away from her abductors but were unable to do
so; Ms. Sadr was "hit badly and dragged so badly that her scarf and manteau
(overcoat) was removed from her".
She was then forced into a car and taken away. Her abductors did
not show any identity cards, warrants, or a reason for her apprehension.
This abduction was a targeted act, unlike other arrests of peaceful women
human rights defenders in Iran such as at demonstrations.
Ms. Sadr is a human rights lawyer who especially defends the
rights of women in Iran. She is also a Council member of WLUML, as well
as part of the Stop Stoning Forever Campaign and Meydaan.
Ms. Sadr’s spouse Mr. Hossein Niachian sent word that an hour
before her detention, officers had presented themselves at their house,
introduced themselves as security forces, then searched their home,
taking away some papers, documents, and two computer cases that had
belonged to him and their ten-year-old daughter. The inspection took
several hours, as they ransacked the house in the presence of the child.
Niachian said that Shadi suffers from a serious glandular and
bone illness which leaves her in intense and debilitating pain and for
which she requires specific medication. She was booked in for surgery for
the condition this week. We are especially concerned for her health and
well-being, and that she is receiving access to her prescribed
medications.
I believe that the arrests of Abdolfattah Soltani, Alireza Tajik
and Kayvan Samimi are directly related to their legitimate work in
defence of human rights.
I urge the Iranian authorities to:
1.Immediately and unconditionally release Mrs Shadi Sadr , as she is a prisoner of conscience,
held solely for her human rights activities and the peaceful exercise of
her rights to freedom of expression.
2. ensure that Shadi Sadr and all other detainees are protected
from all forms of torture or other ill-treatment.
3.Refrain from arresting or detaining human rights defenders
solely for conducting their legitimate work in defence of human rights or
for expressing their opinions on related issues;
4.Ensure that the treatment of Abdolfattah Soltani, Alireza Tajik
and Kayvan Samimi, while in detention, adheres to all those conditions
set out in the ‘Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons
under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment', adopted by UN General
Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;
5.Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in
Iran are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities
without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including
judicial harassment.
Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please write to the Iranian
authorities and ask them to:
- Guarantee in all circumstances the physical
and psychological integrity of Shadi Sadr and all those who are being unjustly persecuted defenders
in Iran;
- Release Shadi Sadr immediately and unconditionally since his
detention is arbitrary as it seems to merely aim at sanctioning his
human rights activities;
- Put an end to acts of harassment against all
human rights defenders in Iran;
- Conform in any circumstances with the provisions
of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted on December 9,
1998 by the United Nations General Assembly, in particular its
article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually
or in association with others, to promote the protection and
realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national
and international levels”, its article 5(c), which reads that
“everyone has the right, individually and in association with
others, at the national and international levels, [...] to
communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental
organizations”, and its article 12.2 which provides that “the State
shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the
competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association
with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto
or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other
arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise
of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;
- Ensure in all circumstances respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international
human rights standards and international instruments ratified by
Iran.
Addresses:
- Leader of the Islamic Republic, His
Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme
Leader, Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98
21 649 5880 / 21 774 2228, Email: info@leader.ir /
istiftaa@wilayah.org / webmaster@wilayah.org
- President Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the
Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran,
Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 649 5880. Email:
dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
- Head of the Judiciary, His Excellency
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, Ministry of Justice, Park-e
Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98 21 879 6671 / +98
21 3 311 6567, Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency
Manouchehr Mottaki, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid
Keshk-e Mesri Av, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 390
1999, Email: matbuat@mfa.gov
- Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax:
+41 22 7330203, Email: mission.iran@ties.itu.int
PLEASE
WRITE ALSO TO LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, MOBILIZE YOUR SOCIAL
NETWORKS, AND URGE YOUR POLICY MAKERS AND EMBASSIES AS WELL AS UN
SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON AND HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
NAVANETHEM PILLAY TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT THE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL
THOSE WHO ARE BEING ABUSED AND ARRESTED IN IRAN.
Addresses:
The Honorable Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General
760 United Nations Plaza
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Web contact: www.un.org/en/contactus/contactform.asp
Ms. Navanethem Pillay
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Email: infodesk@ohchr.org
Tel: +41-22-917-90-00
Fax: +41-22-917-9008 or +1-212-963-4097
PLEASE
ACT NOW.
THANK YOU.
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bservatory for Defence
Rights and attacks against lawyers
