70 wimmin's rights activists were sentenced to three years in prison last week as a result in their participation in a 2006 protest against the government. According to Feminist Daily News:Delaram Ali, 24, was detained for several days after being arrested for protesting Iran’s discriminatory laws against women. Among other demands, the women called for divorce reform, equal inheritance laws, and the equal treatment of women’s testimonies in the eyes of the court in Iran.
According to Ali’s lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, she was charged with “participation in an illegal gathering,” “propaganda against the system,” and “disturbing the public order,” according to Agence France Presse. Sotoudeh said that Ali was her fourth client to be convicted by the Islamic state for participating in last year’s protest, according to Kerala Next.“The [Iranian] women’s movement is expanding and it worries the government,” said Sotoudeh, according to Reuters.
“Delaram Ali’s sentence is too heavy...a [lashing] sentence for social and women’s rights activists is against international law,” she said, according to AFP. Sotoudeh told Reuters that the sentence would be appealed, and that Ali has been released on $21,000 bail.
This is not the first time wimmin's rights activists have been sent to prison in Iran. So here's hoping that Ali's appeal is successful.
1 comments:
I am afraid you a an error in your report. Only Delaram Ali was sentenced to two years and ten months of prison and 10 lashes not 70 women's rights activists. Of course there were other women's rights activists that were sentenced to jail and flogging but most received suspended sentences which will not be served unless they commit a second offense.
If you wish to take action against persecution and prosecution of women’s rights defenders in Iran ,including Delaram Ali, please sign the following petition.
http://www.meydaan.com/English/petition.aspx?cid=52&pid=12
Also you can read all about Delaram at:
http://www.delaram.org
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