Jinous Sobhani

is a former secretary at the DHRC and the ODMV and was arrested on 14 January 2009. She is being held incommunicado at Evin Prison.

Stop Destruction of Mass Graves at Khavaran

(5 February 2009) The Iranian government should immediately stop its ongoing destruction of mass graves at the Khavaran site in Tehran, which is the burial site of thousands of political prisoners executed in 1988, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

The mass graves at Khavaran remain the only place for families of the victims to remember and honor their loved ones. For the past twenty years, the Iranian government has consistently attempted to prevent families from holding memorials at the site on the anniversary of the mass executions.

Unprecedented Three-Year Sentence for Women’s Rights Activist Implemented

(3 February 2009) The Iranian Judiciary should immediately release imprisoned women’s rights activist, Alieh Eghdamdoust, and end its prosecution of all women’s rights activists. The authorities arrested Eghdamdoust on 31 January 2009 in her hometown of Foman, north of Iran, to begin serving a 3-year prison sentence.

Neither she nor her lawyers were informed about the results of her appeal, which was decided nearly a year ago in contravention of Iranian laws, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said.

Women’s Rights Activists Detained for Collecting Signatures to Change Discriminatory Laws

(2 February 2009) Three members of the Iranian movement for equal rights, the One Million Signatures Campaign, were arrested on 30 January 2009, and one remains in detention charged with “acting against national security through propaganda against the state,” according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

Nafiseh Azad, Bigard Ebrahimi and another member of the One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality were arrested while collecting signatures to change discriminatory laws.

Academic Freedom

During the past few years, Iranian universities have been experiencing a new phase of government intervention in academic affairs, which is considered a second Cultural Revolution. The present government policy is demonstrated on several fronts and is resulting in severe infringements on academic freedoms.

Women’s Rights

The Iranian women’s rights movement is the most vibrant social movement in Iran today. Having built an extensive grassroots base, Iranian women are campaigning to fight legal gender discrimination. The government routinely persecutes and prosecutes women’s rights activists.