Threats Against Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi Must Be Condemned

(25 June 2009) Official Iranian news agencies have published a letter claiming to be from lawyers, university professors, and families of veterans and martyrs, which requests the Justice minister, Gholam-Hussein Elham, to prosecute Iranian Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi for allegedly violating Islamic and constitutional law through her human rights advocacy, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today. Elham is also the spokesman for Ahmadinejad’s government.

The letter, published by Fars News, an outlet close to the Revolutionary Guards, claims that Ms. Ebadi’s advocacy with international authorities in the wake of massive police brutality against peaceful demonstrators violates her obligations as a lawyer.

Mass Arrests and Detentions Signal Increasing Repression

(17 June 2009) The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today that several dozen notable figures including Saeed Hajjarian, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Behzad Nabavi, and Abdolfattah Soltani were arrested on 16 June 2009. Hajjarian was an advisor to former president Mohammad Khatami and Abtahi was director of Khatami’s office during his presidency and is now a senior adviser to Mehdi Karroubi. Nabavi is a former member of parliament and Minister of Industry and Mining. Soltani is a leading human rights lawyer and member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center.

The detainees include numerous political figures, intellectuals, civil leaders, human rights activists, and journalists, as well as a large but unknown number of ordinary citizens.

Human Rights Defenders Prevented from Leaving Iran; Women’s Rights Advocates Arrested

(11 May 2009) The Iranian government is continuing to expand its repression of women’s rights activists ahead of the 12 June presidential elections, with a new wave of travel bans, detentions, and summons, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

The Campaign reported that Narges Mohammadi of the banned Iranian human rights group Defenders Human Rights Center, and Soraya Aziz Panah of the Center to Clean Mine Fields, were prevented from leaving Tehran on 7 May 2009.

Report on the Status of Women Human Rights Defenders — April 2009

As the Islamic Republic of Iran celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, human rights abuses are on the rise. Women’s rights activists advocating for legal reforms and the protection of women’s rights have been increasingly targeted. Since our last report, the most prominent human rights defender, Shirin Ebadi, has come under fire; a prison sentence of a woman’s rights activist has been implemented for the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and other women’s rights activists have been targeted, harassed, arrested, summoned, tried and barred from travel. The following report covers the pressures on women human rights defenders since June 2008.

Crackdown on Human Rights Groups Continues with Arrest of Activist

(15 January 2009) Security agents arrested Jinous Sobhani, the former secretary of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) and the Organization for the Defense of Mine Victims, and confiscated her address book, telephone and other work materials on 14 January 2009. Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate, is a co-founder of both groups.

The DHRC, a leading independent Iranian group providing legal defense of human rights violations, has been closed since 22 December 2008, when agents forced their way into the Center.

Threats to Nobel Laureate Escalate

(2 January 2009) The Iranian government should immediately end its campaign of persecution against Dr. Shirin Ebadi, which has now escalated to mob threats and violence against her home, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Human Rights Watch said today. Dr. Ebadi is the 2003 Nobel peace laureate and is a leading human rights defender in Iran.

The human rights organizations expressed grave concerns for Ebadi’s safety following a violent demonstration outside her home in Tehran on 1 January 2009.

Reverse Closure of Nobel Laureate’s Rights Group

(30 December 2008) The unlawful raid by Iranian security forces on the Tehran rights group run by Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi on December 21, 2008 raises concerns of a broader attempt to silence Iran’s human rights community, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Human Rights Watch said today.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian government immediately to allow the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) to reopen its office and to investigate and hold accountable those authorities responsible for conducting the raid without warrant or other apparent legal basis.

End Persecution of Nobel Laureate

(30 December 2008) The Iranian government should end immediately its escalating persecution of Dr. Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel peace laureate and a leading human rights defender, Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

Iran and Malaysia Join Forces to Silence Nobel Laureate

(20 October 2008) The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran together with the Asian NGOs Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) strongly condemn the acts of Iranian and Malaysian governments preventing Dr. Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate, from delivering public lectures during her planned visit to Malaysia.

Threats Against Nobel Peace Laureate Escalate

(26 August 2008) The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expressed serious concerns for the health and safety of Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate, following increasing threats and slander by the official government organ, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), against her in recent weeks. The Campaign is also concerned about the continued detention and ill treatment of another human rights defender, Emad Baghi, whose health is in serious danger.