Front Line is concerned following the arrest and detention of Ms Khadijeh Moghadam, Ms Mahboubeh Karami, Ms Delaram Ali, Ms Leila Nazari, Ms Farkhondeh Ehtesabian, Ms Bahara Behravan, Mr Ali Abdi, Mr Amir Rashidi, Mr Mohammad Shoorab, Mr Arash Nasiri Eghbali, Ms Soraya Yousefi and Ms Shahla Forouzanfar, all human rights defenders from the One Million Signatures Campaign and Mothers for Peace, on 26 March 2009.

Further Information

The One Million Signatures Campaign is a movement which aims to end discriminatory laws against women in Iran. Mothers for Peace is a group of Iranian women who campaigns for peace and to bring stability to the region.

On 26 March 2009, the twelve members of the One Million Signatures Campaign and Mothers for Peace were arrested by police on the corner of Sohrevardi Street, Tehran. The group had met to visit the families of several prisoners of conscience to mark the Persian New Year. Khadijeh Moghadam and Mahboubeh Karami remain in detention in Evin prison. The other ten human rights defenders who were arrested were released on bail and have been instructed to report for interrogation on 5 April 2009. They have been charged with “disturbing public opinion” and “disruption of public order”.

Front line believes that the twelve human rights defenders listed above were targeted because of their peaceful and legitimate activities in the defence of human rights, especially the rights of women and prisoners of conscience.