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The Iranian authorities are continuing to harass activists working to defend women’s rights. Ronak Safarzadeh and Hana Abdi – two Kurdish Iranian activists – currently remain detained without charge or trial. They were arrested in October and November 2007 for peacefully exercising their rights.
The two activists were working as part of The Campaign for Equality, an Iranian women’s rights initiative. Launched in 2006, the campaign aims to collect one million signatures of Iranian nationals to a petition demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iran. The group also provides legal training to volunteers – both women and men – who then travel across the country to promote the campaign, and talk to women about their rights and the need for legal reform.
Women in Iran face far-reaching discrimination under the law. They are denied equal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance. Evidence given by a woman in court is considered only worth half that given by a man. A girl under the age of 13 can be forced to marry a much older man if her father permits it.
With the increase in women’s literacy in the last 30 years and the large number of women students at university, women are increasingly empowered to challenge discrimination. But their efforts are viewed with suspicion by the authorities, who have launched a campaign of intimidation and repression against them. The campaign’s website has been blocked at least seven times by the authorities and its activists are being targeted because of their work.
In August 2007, Nasim Sarabandi and Fatemeh Dehdashti were the first women among the campaign’s activists to receive prison sentences. Detained for 24 hours in January 2007 while collecting signatures in Tehran, they were later sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, after being charged with “acting against state security by propaganda against the system”.
Over 40 others have been detained in connection with their campaigning activities, including Reza Dowlatshah. He was hosting an educational workshop for the campaign in September 2007, when he was detained for three days and beaten.
Although the obstacles are many, activists are still willing to risk their safety to bring about a fundamental change in how the Iranian authorities treat Iran’s women. As Shadi Sadr, a lawyer currently facing possible imprisonment for her human rights work, says: “My grandmother wasn’t allowed the life she wanted. I was lucky. I achieved everything but the struggle was still hard. I didn’t want the dearest person in my life [my daughter] to have the same troubles.”
These sentiments are echoed by former Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, “We are a nation bursting with female ability. We are a country blessed with hard-working women desperate to make a contribution, but one hobbled by legalised prejudice and social bigotry. Now more than ever, the women of Iran deserve our support”.
Rather than using its power to repress and intimidate those who protest and demand their rights, Iran’s government should see the work of women’s rights activists and human rights defenders as an asset, and recognize the important contribution that such activists and defenders are making to address discrimination and intolerance and to promote universal human rights for all Iranians.
Amnesty International has called on the government of Iran must take urgent steps to:
- dismantle discriminatory legislation
- release imprisoned women’s rights defenders and stop detaining and harassing those peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
One year ago, Egyptian blogger Karim Amer was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for the “crime” of publishing on the internet material critical of Islam and President Mubarak.
The then 23-year-old former al-Azhar University student was sentenced on 22 February 2007 and the Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence on 12 March of the same year. Amnesty International described the sentence as yet another slap in the face of freedom of expression in Egypt.
Amnesty International considers Karim Amer to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned on account of the peaceful expression of his views. The organisation condemned the four-year sentence he received and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
Karim Amer, who is serving his prison sentence in Borg Al-Arab Prison, Alexandria, wrote in his letters to one of his legal counsels that he was beaten on 24 October 2007.
Karim Amer said he was punched and kicked by a prisoner and a prison guard under the supervision of a prison investigations officer. One of his teeth was broken and he was badly bruised. He was then taken to a disciplinary cell, hand-cuffed and his legs tied up and beaten again by the same two individuals on the orders of the prison investigations officer.
He also wrote that another prisoner unknown to him was brought to the cell, stripped naked and beaten by the same individuals in his presence. He was then threatened that he would receive the same treatment if he intervened again in the prisons’ affairs. Karim Amer said he advised Eritreans in the prison to keep their money after he had discovered that one Eritrean cell-mate to whom he serves as an interpreter lost US$100.
Karim Amer wrote that he was examined by the prison’s doctor, but there was no mention of his broken tooth in the medical report. He also said that he was not allowed to file a complaint about what happened.
After he was beaten, he was put in solitary confinement in a disciplinary cell until 2 November 2007. During this period, he was given only one meal and one bottle of water a day and not allowed to send letters. He was finally moved back to the prison section where he was initially detained on 7 November 2007 and held in an individual cell.
Amnesty International has also called for an investigation of Karim Amer’s ill-treatment in prison and for appropriate measures to be taken to ensure his safety and security.
Amnesty International has urged the Egyptian authorities to review or abolish all legislation that, in violation of international standards, stipulates prison sentences for the mere exercise of the rights of freedom of expression, thought, conscience and religion.
Karim Amer was first detained by the Egyptian authorities for twelve days in October 2005 because of his writings on his blog about Islam and the sectarian riots that took place in the same month in Alexandria’s Moharram Bek district. These riots followed reports that the video of a play believed to be anti-Islamic was being screened in a Coptic church in the district.
In March 2006, disciplinary measures were taken against him by al-Azhar University and he was dismissed. The university’s disciplinary board found him guilty of blaspheming Islam
He was rearrested in Alexandria on 7 November 2006 following a complaint made against him by al-Azhar University. He remained in detention since then until his sentencing, following a series of extensions.
Gaza, (Palestinian Centre for Human Rights):
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – 14 – 20 February 2008
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
6 Palestinians, including a child, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
2 Palestinians died from previous injuries in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
13 Palestinians, including a woman and a journalist, were injured by IOF gunfire.
IOF conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and another 2 incursions into the Gaza Strip.
IOF arrested 48 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.
IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
One patient died because IOF obstructed her access to medical treatment in the West Bank.
IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (14 – 20 February 2008):
Shootings: During the reporting period, IOF killed 6 Palestinians, including a child, in the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinians also died from previous injuries in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In addition, IOF injured 13 Palestinians, including one woman and a journalist.
In the Gaza Strip, on 17 February, IOF killed 5 Palestinians, including 2 civilians, and injured 9 others, including a woman, during an incursion into al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah. On the same day, a Palestinian resistance activist died from an injury he had sustained on 12 February during armed clashed with IOF troops who had invaded Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. On 19 February, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child during an incursion into the same village, Wadi al-Salqa.
In the West Bank, on 14 February, a Palestinian civilian died from an injury sustained on 7 February during an incursion by IOF into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. On the same day two Palestinian civilians were wounded in ‘Anabta village, east of Tulkarm, when IOF troops opened fire during an incursion into the village. A Palestinian journalist was also injured when IOF troops used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration protesting the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 23 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and arrested 48 Palestinian civilians. To date the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of the year stands at 432.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 2 incursions into Palestinian communities. On 17 February, IOF moved into al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah. They killed five Palestinians and arrested 70 others. The detainees were released after interrogation. On 19 February, IOF moved into Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. During this incursion they killed a Palestinian child.
Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
To date, IOF have closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than 18 months continuously. The total siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and has violated the economic and social rights of the Palestinian civilian population, particularly their rights to appropriate living conditions, health and education. It has also paralyzed most economic sectors. Furthermore, severe restrictions have been imposed on the movement of the Palestinian civilian population. The siege of the Gaza Strip has severely impacted the flow of food, medical supplies and other necessities, such as fuel, construction materials and raw materials for various economic sectors.
IOF have further tightened the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip, and the living and economic conditions of Palestinian civilians have further deteriorated. In September 2007, the Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip a “Hostile entity,” which implies imposing more restrictions and measures of collective punishment against the Palestinian civilian population. Since then, IOF have sharply decreased food and fuel supplies allowed to enter the Gaza Strip. IOF have continued to prevent the entry of raw materials into the Gaza Strip, and subsequently many factories have been forced to close. Regarding the movements of civilians, IOF permit an extremely limited number of Palestinian civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing in order to travel to the West Bank. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border is therefore the Gaza Strip’s sole gateway to the outside world. However, IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, although they do not directly control the Crossing. IN addition, they have prevented European observers working at Rafah International Crossing Point from reaching the Crossing in order to monitor it.
The closure of these border crossings deprives the entire Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their human rights to freedom of movement, education and health. IOF have also continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Fishermen have been subjected to intensive harassment by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to monitor and intimidate the fishermen. The Interim Arrangements singed in 1994/95 permit Palestinian fishermen to go fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from the Gaza seashore. However, IOF continue to violate the Interim Arrangements and prevent Gaza fishermen from working.
West Bank
IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have systematically been denied access to Jerusalem. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays in order to prevent them from praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often violently assault Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and intersections in the West Bank, further limiting the freedom of movement of civilians.
The USA’s record under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination will come under scrutiny next week. A treaty monitoring body will examine the government’s periodic report on 21 and 22 February in Geneva.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the Committee) is scheduled to consider the USA’s combined fourth, fifth and sixth periodic reports describing how it complies with its treaty obligations to guarantee protection against discrimination on the basis of race, colour, ethnicity or nationality.
Amnesty International submitted a briefing to the Committee last November in which the organization highlighted concerns raised in the course of its work since the Committee’s consideration of the USA’s initial report in 2001.
Amnesty International’s briefing noted that, despite the US Constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the law, systemic discrimination continues to exist in many areas. Its concerns included racial profiling in law enforcement; discriminatory treatment of foreign nationals detained in the aftermath of the attacks on 11 September 2001; the disproportionate number of racial and ethnic minorities among the US prison population; and racial disparities in the juvenile justice system and in the administration of the death penalty.
The briefing also expressed concern about the discriminatory treatment of non-US nationals held by the US military in Guantánamo Bay and elsewhere in the context of the “war on terror”, an issue not touched upon in the USA’s report. It included concerns about how foreign nationals designated “unlawful enemy combatants” can be subjected to unfair military commissions, operating under a lower standard of justice than US citizens accused of similar crimes.
The briefing also expressed concern about the barriers to accessing justice faced by Native American and Alaska Native American women who suffered disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence, and about the treatment of displaced African American residents of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
