36 women activists arrested in Tehran

36 women activists arrested in Tehran

The attacks are condemned.
The arrested must be released immediately!

Today, 4th March 2007, a gathering of women activists in front of the "Engelab Court", Tehran, Iran was brutally attacked and 36 women were arrested. The gathering was called to protest against the arrest and trial of 5 women activists who were jailed in connection with protests on 22 Xordad in "Haft Tir Square". Their "crime" was to stage a gathering "against the country's security".

The 5 arrested women activists are Parvin Ardalan, Susan Tahmasbi, Shahla Entesari, and Fariba Davoodi Mohajer. They filed a complaint against the police attack on 22 Xordad protests. The minister of justice has officially announced that 60 people were arrested in that protest, of which 42 were women.

Today, at 8.30 am, a large crowed gathered in front of the Court house to protest against the trial. The police attacked the demonstrators and arrested 36 women. The names of the arrested are as follows:
Asyeh Amini, Jilla Bani-Yagoob, Mahboobeh Abasgoli-zade, Mahboobeh Hossein-Zade, Sara Logmani, Zara Amjadian, Maryam Hossein-zade, Jelveh Javaheri, Niloofar Golkar, Parastoo Dokohaki, Zeynab Paygambar-zade, Maryam Mirza, Sagar Legabi, Khadijeh Mogadam, Sagi Legayee, Nahid Keshavarz, Mahnaz Mohamadi, Nasrin Afzali, Talaat Tagi-Nyaz, Fakhri Shadfar, Maryam Shadfar, Elnaz Ansari, Fatemeh Govarayee, Azade Fergani, Samyeh Farid, Minoo Mortazi, Sara Imanian, Nahid Jafari, Susan Tahmasbi, Parvin Ardalan, Nooshin Ahmadi-Khorasani, and Shahla Entesari. Shadi Sadr, an activist of women's movement and also solicitor of Shahla Entesari is also among the arrested.

According to news reaching us, the protestors were first taken to the police station in "Eshrat-Abad square" in Tehran. They were believed to be held in two groups of 18 in buses outside the "Vozara Building" (Office of combating social misconduct and corruption). Later they were taken to jail and their families along with some other protestors are staging a protest in front of the jail.

Some news from women's groups in Iran report that the security forces smashed Nahid Jafari's head against the bus which caused her teeth being broken. She has been denied emergency dental care.

Organisation for Women's Liberation condemns this brutal attack, the arrest of women's rights activists and urges all to protest against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We urge all to support the activists of movement for women's liberation on 8 th March in Iran and condemn the Islamic Republic for suppressing women's movement and imposing discrimination. We call upon all freedom-loving people to protest against the arrest of these women activists and to call for their immediate and unconditional release.

ENDS

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