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Feminist School: Mansoureh Shojaee’s biography:

Mansoureh Shojaee
 Date of birth: August 21, 1958
 Place of birth: Tehran, Iran
 Marital status: Married
 Children: One son (23 years old)
 BA in French Translation
 Retired librarian of the Iranian National Library (1997)
 Researcher in women’s rights and human rights

Experinces: One of the co-founders of independent women’s organizations and women’s movements in Iran such as:

 The Women Cultural Center (2000)
 The Organization of Survival Activists - Women and Environment- (2001)
 The Sedigheh Dowlatabadi Women’s Library (2004)
 The Banu Library for Women in Evaz, Lar providence (2005)
 The Campaign for One Millions Signatures (2006)
 The Feminist School group (2007)

Cultural contributions:
 Organised and participated in local and international workshops and seminars regarding women issues (1997-2009)

 Founder, planner, of Gooya Book Group in Children’s Book Publication. Talking books for blind children. (1995 – 2005)
 Planner and Executive Consultant for the Empowering Women Organization, established permanent and mobile local libraries in remote and deprived part of the country such as Sistan, Balouchestan, Kerman, Lar, and the Afghan refugee camps in Torbat Jam, Semnan and Mashhad. (2000- 2005)
 Member of the board of directors of the Women’s Organization against the Environmental Pollution. (1998 -2000)

Publications:
 Contributing in some magazines like: Zanan Magazine (Women’s magazin), Jensedovom magazine (The Second Sex’s magazine), Fasle zanan (The Season of Women’s magazine) and sites like: Iftribbune.com, herland.com, changeforequality.com, feministschool.com and ...

 Author, editor and translator of many articles and books on women’s issues and other subjects including:

 • Women’s rights
 • Ecofemism
 • Women and indigenous knowledge
 • Critical articles on feminism
 • Feminism’s Book review
 • Recordings on women movement history and feminism
 • The history of women’s and children’s libraries
 • Report of mobile libraries for deprived areas

Reasons for Arrests

In 2006, when leaving the country to participate in a short training school of journalism in India, she was arrested and was imprisoned in the 209 section of Evin Prison.

In 2007 she was arrested and was kept into custody along with many of the participants in a workshop held by her in Khorramabad, in Luristan provence. The workshop was related to the Campaign for One Million Signatures.

In 2007, leaving the country to deliver a lecture in Dubai for Iranian Women Society on the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day, she was stopped, her passport was confiscated and she was barred from traveling ever since.

She has received repeated warrants and notices from the authorities regarding her feminist activities, and she was summoned on numerous occasions to various detention centers for investigation.

Cases: Reasons for Arrests (first case)

She was arrested on January 26 2007 in the airport whilest travelling to New Delhi for an educational journalism workshop with two other members of women’s cultural center. She was transferred to the Evin prison and held for 2 days. Since then she has been interrogated for several times and her home has been searched.

Current status:

a) Ruling:The court is not held yet

b) Prohibited to leave the county

Cases: Reasons for Arrests (second case)

She was arrested on September 14 2007 in Khoramabad during campaign activities and was in prison for one day no ruling has been reached.

Current status:

a) Ruling: no ruling has been reached.

Cases: Reasons for Arrests( third cases)

Nasrin Sotoodeh and Mansoureh Shojaee by invitation of some of Iranians women originaly from the south of Larestan and Evaz of Iran who are based in Dubai , were going to go to Dubai to take part in the celebration of 8th of March when the officials announced the ban on Mansoureh Shojaee from travelling and seized her passport. However, they told Nasrin Sotoodeh that she could travel. But she avoided travelling and told them that she is representing Mansoureh Shojaee and she has to stay with her. They were questioned by security forces for 5 hours in airport, During which they were told that participation in any meeting overseas is against the interests of the country.

Current status:

a) Ruling: the court isn’t held yet.

b) Prohibited to leave the county: she has prohibited to leave the country.

d) Latest elaboration of the case: three cases .status of all 3 cases is unclear. No court is held yet.

Cases: Resons for Arrests (fourth cases)

Mansoureh Shojaee was arrested at her home in the early hours of December 29th.

Police agents arrived to her home at 11:30 p.m. on 28th of December 2009 and waited for her with her son present, until Shojaee and her husband arrived home at 3:30a.m. The agents then arrested Shojaee and transferred her to prison. Police officials inspected her house and collected some of her personal belongings as well as her mobile phone and computer, before taking her to prison.

Security officials refused to reveal the location of her detention or the charge she has been arrested for.

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