All News items from Iran

Front Line is deeply concerned following the arrest of nine women's rights defenders during peaceful demonstration outside the Rahe Abrisham Gallery in Tehran, on 12 June 2008. The women's rights defenders, Aida Saadat, an online journalist for Etemad and Change for Equality; Nasrin Sotoode, a women's rights lawyer; Jelve Javaheri, an online journalist for the Change for Equality website; Jilla Baniyagoub, an online journalist with Sarmayeh and the Canon Zeman Irani; Sarah Loghmani and Farideh Ghaeb, both online journalists for Canon Zeman Irani; Alieh Motalbezadeh, a journalist and photographer; and women's rights defenders, Nahid Mirhaj and Nafiseh Azad, were meeting to celebrate the National Day of Solidarity of Iranian Women in objection to discriminatory laws against women in Iran and to review the achievements of the women's rights movement through similar meetings over previous years.  

A new report by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran documents how the Iranian authorities have systematically thwarted peaceful and legal civil society efforts to advocate for women’s rights in Iran, abusing the legal system and gravely violating internationally protected civil rights in the process.  

According to reports received, Delarim Ali's sentence of two years and six months has not been implemented, as the Iranian authorities have requested that there be a two week period of investigation. For more information please click here: http://www.we4change.info/english/spip.php?article167

To His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, The people of Iran are experiencing difficult times both internationally and domestically. Internationally, they face the threat of a military attack from the US and the imposition of extensive sanctions by the UN Security Council. Domestically, a despotic state has – through constant and organized repression – imprisoned them in a life and death situation.  

Leading Iranian human rights defender Fariba Davoodi Mohajer will be awarded the Human Rights First Award at the organisation's annual award dinner in October in New York .  

Nobel Laureate , Shirin Ebadi, has campaigned for many years for the rights of women and children in Iran. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2003 for her courageous work in defense of human rights. In this letter to Human Rights Commissioner, Louise Arbour, she sets our her concern at recent prison sentences handed down against women human rights defenders in Iran.  

Prominent women's rights defender, Delaram Ali was sentenced to 2 years, 10 months jail term and 10 lashes, on 2 July 2007, for her participation in a peaceful gathering of women human rights defenders in Tehran in June 2006.