January 27, 2007
Three Iranian feminist activists are arrested
Herland: "Three Iranian women’s movement activists have been arrested at Imam Khomeini’s airport Saturday morning. Talat Taghinia, Mansoureh Shojaei, and Farnaz Seifi, journalists, women’s movement activists, and members of Women’s Cultural Center, have been arrested Saturday morning while leaving Tehran to participate in a journalism training workshop in Delhi. After being arrested at the airport, the security officers escorted them to their homes, inspected their houses, and collected their personal belongings such as their computers, books, and manuscripts, and took them to division 209 in Evin prison."
Talat, Mansoureh, and Farnaz were among the organizers of June 12 demonstrations. They are also part of One-Million Signatures Campaign. Farnaz also runs an active feminist blog in Persian. I hope they’ll be released as soon as possible. It’s amazing how this government is afraid of feminist activists. Evin prison is where high profile political prisoners are being kept. While it’s a relief that at least it’s known where they are being held, still it is worrying that why they are being treated as political prisoners.
Shirin Ebadi, Leila Alikarami and Nasrin Sotoudeh have accepted to be their attorneys. I hope they will be released soon.
You can see their photos here.
*Update: They are released on bail. Their attorneys still don't know what their accusation is.
Talat Taghinia, Mansoureh Shojaei, and Farnaz Seifi, journalists, women’s movement activists, and members of Women’s Cultural Center, have been arrested Saturday morning at Imam Khomeini’s airport while leaving Tehran to participate in a journalism training workshop in Delhi. They are taken to Evin prison.
Posted by Lady Sun @ January 27, 2007 04:43 PM| David @ 01:23 AM | January 29, 2007 |
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I am glad that these three courageous women have been released on bail! At least they are out of the horrible Evin Prison! Do you think the government is just trying to scare them, or will they really be put on trial for some sort of perceived crime? I suppose it is too early to say. I don't understand why Mullahs are afraid of women asking to be treated as the equals of men. Iranian women already have far more rights than women in Saudi Arabia, for example. So, what would be so bad about going all the way and giving women equal rights? |
| Georg @ 02:30 PM | February 2, 2007 |
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Bonjour Sunny, To be killed or executed by stoning is terrible. But regarding this campain to have it stopped, may I aks you just 2 questions: 1. To have to stoning stopped, it would mean that these women would be hanged instead. Is this the goal you are pursuing?? 2. I understand this stoning habit is mostly meted out to women and frequently as a sanction for adultery. I suppose you know that adultery carries no sanction at all in all Western countries governed by law. How come you do not ask to have adultery stopped to be punished?? Georg -- Dear George, 1-We are asking not to treat adultery as a sever crime, so that it won’t be punishable by any form of death penalty. So, we are not asking to replace stoning by hanging. Also, according to the law, stoning cannot be replaced by any other form of death, ex. hanging. 2- First of all, adultery is a crime in some states of the US, for example in Florida it’s a second degree misdemeanor, but in reality the law is not in effect, as far as I know. Also, you should understand the cultural and religious dynamics of our society. Any form of sex out of marriage is a crime in our country, let alone adultery which is the worst of all in our culture. So, our campaign would hardly be able to ask not to treat adultery as a crime. All we can do for now, is to ask not to treat adultery as a severe crime punishable by death penalty. Perhaps, the next step would be a call to stop considering sex out of marriage a crime. Maybe after that one can ask not to consider adultery as a crime. Even if our laws disregard adultery as a crime, our culture will not approve. These things need cultural work, and we hope that by our campaign we start a dialogue about this, for example by writing about love, sex, marriages that end with adultery, our culture, etc. Honestly, to us, banning stoning is a short term goal. Our bigger long term goal is the creation of this dialogue |
| Roozbeh Razavi @ 03:54 PM | February 3, 2007 |
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Where Are You LAdy? I Miss YoU Take Care & Doe |
| choclo @ 07:34 PM | February 3, 2007 |
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The essence of the problem is almost always that the re is a doouble standard and that the man is not prosecuted for adultery. If he were to the degree that those mostly hipocritical folks go after women , folks would yearn for the principal put forth by the wise man Jusus who said ye without blame throw the first stone. Let us leave judgement to God and honor our creater with the mercy that honors her/his creation |