Continued Harassment of Campaign Activists

The One Million Signatures Campaign has reported several actions against Iranian women’s rights activists during the past week, indicating increased pressure against the women’s rights movement:

Zeinab Bayzeydi, a member of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan and of the One Million Signatures Campaign, was arrested on July 9, in Mahabad, Kurdistan. Ms. Bayzeydi was summoned and interrogated for several hours on July 5 and again for three hours on July 9, prior to her arrest and transfer to a detention center in Mahabad.

Nasrin Sotoodeh and Mansoureh Shojaee have both been summoned to appear before the Revolutionary Courts. In violation of legal requirements, neither court summons provided information about the charges against Shojaee or Sotoodeh. Ms. Sotoodeh is an attorney who has represented numerous women’s rights activists, including members of the One Million Signatures Campaign, as well as an advocate for abused children and for youth facing the death penalty. Ms. Shojaee is a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, the women’s cultural center, and the editorial board of the Feminist School website. Shojaee has previously been represented by Sotoodeh.

The lawyer representing Campaign activist Mahboubeh Karami was informed on July 12 that a bail amount of 100 million tomans (approximately $110,000) has been set for her release. Ms. Karami was arrested on June 13, while a bus she was riding passed by a demonstration at Mellat Park. She was not involved with the demonstration, which was not connected to the women’s rights movement or the One Million Signatures Campaign. Ms. Karami was also one of ten female inmates who last week went on a hunger strike in protest of the conditions of their detention. Her family is unable to post this high amount for her release.