|
HAIL TO THE IRANIAN
WOMEN'S REVOLUTIONISTS FALLEN FOR FREDOM
against
the supreme leader, the arch-reactionary Ayatollah Ali Khomeini,
and his placeman president. The message of
the women when the former president visited a university was plain: <give way or
get lost> in 2023 and still is.
IN MEMORY OF ASRA PANAHI (16)- JINA MAMINI (22) - NIKA SHAKARAMI (16), SARINA ESMAILZADEH (16) HADIS NAJAFI (20), AND MORE WOMEN WHO WERE ASSASINATED SO
FAR BY THE IRANIAN AXIS OF EVIL.
Click here for a total list so far
(Updates
November 22, 2024)
|
December 31,
2023 - Preface about the below 3 heroines of Iran by
Gino d'Artali : Beacons of hope and inspiration on the
road towards a long and free Iran . * Jina Amini,
our sister/daughter who martyred herself for freedom;
*Narges Mohammadi, our sister and as I call her 'mother
of a free Iran' and winner of the Nobel Prize of Freedom
2023 and sentenced five times to a total of 31 years in
prison and 154 lashes but who refuses to give in to the
mullahs' regime to wear a hijab or bow to their demands
and therefore is refused medical care although needing
it badly and bringing her live in danger but says "Victory
is not easy, but it is certain" * and Maryam
Akbari Monfared, our sister who's encarcerated since
15 years and refuses to bow down to the mullahs saying "Finally,
one day, I will sing the song of victory from the summit
of the mountain, like the sun. Tomorrow belongs to us"
Read all about them here and let them inspire you on
your road towards a long and free Iran or as we say in
the West: 'Three strikes and the mullahs' regime is out'
Be the finalizing strike dear and brave dissent |
|
A to VICTORY tribute to
NARGES MOHAMMADI
October 8, 2024:
"The perpetrators of war are the
outcasts and the disgraced throughout history..."
September 25, 2024:
Letter from Narges Mohammadi to UN
General Assembly
September 16, 2024:
"Message from Narges
Mohammadi for Jina Mahsa Amini"
May 6, 2024
"Tyranny will fall"
"Victory is not easy, but it is certain"
watch it here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LAMPz57Aqw
Click here for a news-overview
from January 15, 2024 'till October 31, 2023
|
JINA AMINI'S VOICE IS HEARD
And do read also the above linked incredible
December 2023 update!
despite the mullahs'
regime to force it down!
Her mother speaks
out loud and clear
UPDATED:
September 29 - 16, 2024
Second Anniversary of Jina Amini's
state-sanctioned murder
incl. Commemorating Bloody Friday
and earlier news about
a wave of arrests of her fellow-citizen
|
MARJAM AKBARI
MONFARED
June 24, 2024:
The Iranian Regime
Judiciary Launches a New Case to Seize the Assets of Maryam Akbari Monfared and Her Family, in Revenge for
Seeking Justice for Her Siblings Executed in the 1980s
Dec 30, 2023: Not bowing for the mullahs' regime
she says:
"Finally, one
day, I will sing the song of victory from the summit of
the mountain, like the sun. Tomorrow belongs to us"
'War against the No-hijabi
women'
May 10 - 3, 2024
and more
|
|
Vida Movahed
A more than brave woman who's
challenging the mullahs' regime and its
'dress-laws'
Please do read
the following articles about heroines who risk live and
limb for the women-led revolution and no matter what
they'll never give in nor up!and other stories: click on the underlined
topics:
Earlier
Actual stories:
UPDATES: The underlined
November '24
topics:
About the mullahs' regimes' hanging
campaign against the dissent
&
About the possible regimes ban on Women
Riding Motorcycles
&
Ideological Screening in Teacher
Recruitment: Medieval Constraints
&
Systemic Psychological and Medical Abuse
and links to more stories
and
Click here for previous inspiring
stories and articles
incl. Red Alerts |
'New' topic: a regimes' re-newed method of
torture: denial of medical care
November 4, 2024
"UN Expert Highlights Alarming
Violations Against Women and Fundamental Freedoms..."
October 19-18 2024 - July 18, 2016
Health taken hostage
And read here more about the
'Nurses 'strike' back':
Other updates can be read in
the 'Actual News' section
August 30, 2024:
"Nurses can neutralize security
forces' efforts with unity."
and updates:
August 28, 2024:
Nurses' demands - "A nurse will
die, but will not accept humiliation,":
 |
"NO to executions"
campaign
In support - reflection and
updates:
Sept. 7 - August 20, 2024
Other updates can be read in
the 'Actual News' section
'The mullahs' regime / OHCHR* gallows' dance'
Other updates can be read in
the 'Actual News' section
July 8 - 4, 2024:
The-death-sentence-against-Sharifeh-Mohammadi
June 15, 2024:
Prisoner Swap with Iran is
Shameful Reward
June 5 - May 23, 2024:
It |Iran| puts people to death in
order to terrorize the population into silence.
and other stories
*OHCHR - UN Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Click here for earlier reports
|
|
|
November 20 - 18, 2024
<<Young woman murdered by
husband...
& Vida Movahed Released
from Hospital...
& <<The Plight of Young
Children Incarcerated with Their Mothers...
& World March of Women
condemns death sentence of Varisheh Moradi...
& <<Nasimeh Eslam Zehi with
Her 7-month-old Baby Held in Iran's Evin Prison...
& <<Nasrin Shahkarami stands trial...
&<<"Mala Jin": The unique
women's houses transforming Middle Eastern society...
& <<Iranian Activist
Reports Sexual Abuse in Detention...
& <<'We'll Make You Confess
to Everything': Iranian Man Tortured to Death in
Custody...
and more actual and revealing news |
|
When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi
figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da
qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so
called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.
VIDA MOVAHED
Iranwire - Nov 19, 2024
<<Ahoo Daryaei Released from Hospital, Says Judiciary
The Islamic Republic's judiciary spokesperson has claimed that Ahoo
Daryaei, a student who stripped to her underwear after being harassed by
security forces for her hijab, has been discharged from the hospital and
returned to her family. Asghar Jahangir said on Tuesday that Daryaei was
unwell and sent to the hospital, claiming that "no case has been filed
against her in the judicial system." Responding to a question about the
latest situation of the protesting student, he said, "Considering that
the person was unwell and sent to the hospital, and it was confirmed
that she is ill, she is now with her family." The judiciary spokesperson
further claimed that Daryaei's family is "taking care of her." However,
Jahangir said that he was unaware of any investigation by the
university's security office about the student. Daryaei, a student at
the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University in Tehran,
protested on November 2 by removing her clothes in public. She was
arrested shortly afterward. Her detention sparked widespread domestic
and international reactions, with Amnesty International expressing
concern in a post on X about her transfer to an "unspecified psychiatric
hospital." Following her detention two weeks ago, Daryaei was taken to a
police station. She was then branded mentally ill and transferred to a
psychiatric hospital where, according to Amir Kabir, she "attempted to
escape from the quarantine ward at least once but was blocked by
security forces." As public concern grew over her arrest, university
officials claimed that she was suffering from <mental issues.>
Pro-government Fars News reported that she had attended class in
<inappropriate clothing> and undressed only after being asked to comply
with campus dress codes. Amir Mahjoub, the university's public relations
manager, claimed that police medical teams found her <under severe
mental stress> and noted she had <psychological issues.> >>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/136237-ahoo-daryaei-released-from-hospital-says-judiciary/
Note by the Cryfreedom.net editor: As I noted before in other outlets
the name of Vida Movahed, being her real name, is too often mistakingly
mentioned as being miss Ahoo Daryaei but... it really is miss Vida
Movahed. The 'mistake' could be where her Kurdish name is banned by the
regime like our beloved everyones daughter Jina Amini was forced to be
named 'mahsa'. But a treu name cannot be denied just like the force of
the "Woman, Life, Freedom" revolt cannot be denied!
Hengaw Organisation for Human Right - November 7, 2024
<<Hengaw Organization for Human Rights calls for International action
against the Islamic Republic of Iran's suppression of Women, Sexual and
Gender minorities
On Saturday, November 2, 2024, shocking images emerged of a young woman
protesting on the campus grounds of Tehran’s Islamic Azad University of
Science and Research. This female student, identified as Ahoo (Mahla)
Daryaei according to Masih Alinejad, was initially referred to as the
"Science and Research Girl." Walking unclothed in the university's outer
courtyard, she captured worldwide attention. Her protest, reportedly
sparked by the university security's harsh enforcement of mandatory
hijab, was a courageous act meant to draw focus on the issue. Initial
reports and statements from sources at Hengaw Organization for Human
Rights indicate that this protest was a response to the pressures
exerted by university security; however, the Islamic Republic of Iran
quickly sought to distort the reality of her protest by altering the
narrative. Eyewitnesses report that this woman protested against
university security due to harassment over mandatory hijab enforcement.
This account aligns with the initial report from Fars News Agency,
affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which described
her action as unveiling that led to nudity. However, after the incident
received extensive coverage from media and human rights organizations
both inside and outside Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran made
significant efforts to alter its narrative. It is important to emphasize
that, as in numerous similar cases, including the protests by the "Girls
of Enghelab Street" and activists like Vida Movahed, Roya Zakeri, and
Sepideh Gholian, the Islamic Republic of Iran's propaganda apparatus
quickly moved to discredit this protest by labeling it as a result of
<mental illness.> This tactic seeks to undermine the legitimacy of these
social and political protests, presenting them as invalid expressions
rather than genuine acts of dissent. Furthermore, by broadcasting
statements attributed to the woman's former husband, authorities
attempted to discourage the public from sharing images and information
about her identity. Her family reports that they have been pressured to
accept this <mental illness> label, a move intended to prevent her case
from being treated as a security or judicial issue. This approach
mirrors tactics previously employed in cases like that of Azam Jangravi,
one of the Girls of Enghelab Street, where similar pressures were
applied to deflect attention from the political nature of her actions.
Multiple reports from human rights sources confirm that Mahla (Ahoo)
Daryaei has been transferred to a psychiatric hospital following her
protest at the University of Science and Research. The university campus
is now under heightened security measures, with security forces visibly
present among the students. According to eyewitness accounts, security
personnel instructed students to <Do not make any movement, do not
look.> These reports align with images from Daryaei's protest,
reflecting the tense and restrictive atmosphere in those moments. Hengaw
Organization for Human Rights, expressing deep concern about the
situation of Mahla (Ahoo), believes, based on similar past experiences,
that the Islamic Republicof Iran is attempting to create fabricated
narratives about this young woman through forced confessions and severe
pressure. In such conditions, transparent and accurate reporting on her
identity and health status is of particular importance. Hengaw's legal
team believes that this young woman's protest against mandatory hijab,
under international human rights law, is a legitimate political and
civil protest that falls within the framework of the right to freedom of
expression and the right to peaceful assembly, as guaranteed under
Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights. Mandatory hijab, imposed in Iran as a state policy, is clearly
in contradiction with the right to freedom of expression and the right
to be free from discrimination, and protesting against it is entirely
legitimate. In response to this incident, rather than addressing the
legitimate demands of the protesters, the Islamic Republic of Iran has
labeled them as <mentally ill.> This tactic, a long-standing method used
by the state to suppress dissent-especially among women-is not only
unfounded but also fundamentally conflicts with human rights principles.
Such labeling serves to delegitimize political and social protests,
denying protesters their rightful ability to express their opinions and
be heard. One clear violation in this incident is Mahla's (Ahoo) right
to privacy and personal security. According to human rights principles,
everyone has the right to be protected from interference with their
privacy and the misuse of their personal information. The Islamic
Republic government, particularly through broadcasting confessions
attributed to her former husband, has attempted to violate this
individual's privacy and has asked the public to refrain from sharing
images and information about her. Such actions are not only against
human rights principles, but in situations where a person is under
pressure and threat, they can lead to serious violations of her
individual and social rights. Past experiences indicate that the Islamic
Republic of Iran often employs pressure tactics, including forced
confessions, particularly when individuals are detained during
widespread protests. In this context, Hengaw's legal team believes that
the detained individual will likely face intense pressure to provide
coerced confessions under various threats from authorities. These forced
confessions lack validity and are frequently used as tools for further
abuse and repression. Therefore, promptly revealing the individual's
identity and ensuring transparent and accurate information about their
condition is crucial to preventing further harm. Keeping the situation
of this protesting woman hidden, especially in such conditions where she
is under multiple threats, can lead to increased risks for her life and
health. Accurate and timely information about Ahoo (Mahla)'s condition
and health can prevent further exploitation of her. Withholding
information enables the Islamic Republic to advance its false and
fabricated narratives regarding her situation, without any oversight or
accountability regarding this matter. This incident is not just an
example of one person's human rights being violated, but also a symbol
of the ongoing violation of the rights of women, sexual and gender
minorities in Iran. In countries with gender apartheid systems, women
and minorities constantly face violence, discrimination, and repression.
These discriminations, which include severe restrictions on social,
political, and cultural freedoms, clearly show the blatant violation of
human rights and social justice.
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights calls for immediate and serious
action from the international community to:
Pressure the Islamic Republic to provide accurate and transparent
information about her health and detention location.
The detention of this woman without being informed of the charges
against her, without access to a lawyer, and especially her forced
detention in a psychiatric hospital, is a gross violation of the Islamic
Republic of Iran's obligations under international human rights law.
The Islamic Republic of Iran must refrain from any pressure, threats, or
use of forced confessions against this woman.
The international community must hold the Islamic Republic of f Iran
accountable for violating the human rights of women, sexual and gender
minorities and push for an end to its discriminatory and repressive
policies against these groups.
The gender apartheid system in Iran should be recognized
internationally, and the Islamic Republic of Iran should be held
accountable under this definition.
Finally, Hengaw Organization for Human Rights urges all human rights
organizations and international authorities to hold the Islamic Republic
of Iran accountable for the ongoing and widespread repression of the
rights of women, sexual and gender minorities. We call on the
international community to take practical measures and apply effective
pressure to force the Iranian state to honor its international
obligations and respect the dignity and rights of these groups.
Supporting the rights of women, sexual and gender minorities, and
working to end systemic repression is a shared global responsibility in
the pursuit of justice and the realization of freedom.>>
Source:
https://hengaw.net/en/statements/2024/11/article-1
France 24 - November 3, 2024 - by NEWS WIRES
<<Iran arrests female student who stripped to protest dress code
Iranian authorities on Saturday arrested a female student who staged a
solo protest by stripping to her underwear in public. Reports indicate
the action aimed to highlight the oppressive enforcement of Iran's dress
code, which mandates women wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing
in public. A female student on Saturday was arrested after staging a
solo protest against harassment by stripping to her underwear outside
her university,in Tehran, on November 2, 2024. Iranian authorities
arrested a female student on Saturday after she staged a solo protest
against harassment by stripping to her underwear outside her university,
reports said. The woman, who has not been identified, had been harassed
inside Tehran's prestigious Islamic Azad University by members of the
Basij paramilitary force who ripped her headscarf and clothes, according
to reports by several news outlets and social media channels outside
Iran. She then took off her clothes in protest and sat outside the
university dressed in just her underwear before defiantly walking in the
street to the astonishment of passers-by, videos posted on social media
showed. Under the dress code mandatory in Iran, women must wear a
headscarf and loose-fitting clothes in public. The footage, which was
first posted by Iranian student social media channel the Amir Kabir
newsletter, was published by numerous Persian-language outlets,
including the Hengaw rights group and Iran Wire news website, as well as
Amnesty International. The footage appeared to have been shot by
onlookers in a neighbouring building. Another video showed her being
bundled into a car by men in plain clothes and driven off to an
undisclosed location.
'Cry from the heart'
The Amir Kabir newsletter alleged she was beaten during the arrest.
"Iran's authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the
university student who was violently arrested after she removed her
clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by
security officials," Amnesty International said. The London-based rights
group, which has in the past years chronicled allegations of abuse
against women in Iranian prisons, added: "Pending her release,
authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment and
ensure access to family and lawyer." It added that "allegations of
beatings and sexual violence against her during arrest need independent
and impartial investigations". Iran's conservative Fars news agency
confirmed the incident in a report, publishing a picture with the
student heavily blurred out. It said the student had worn <inappropriate
clothes> in class and <stripped> after being warned by security guards
to comply with the dress code. Citing <witnesses>, it said the security
guards spoke <calmly> with the student and denied the reports that their
action had been aggressive.
Near-nationwide protests erupted in 2022 following the death in custody
of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman who had been arrested for an
alleged breach of the dress code. The protests, which saw women break
taboos by removing their headscarves and on occasion even burning them,
subsided in the face of a crackdown that left 551 protesters dead and
thousands arrested.
"We must not leave each other to stand alone," wrote Katayoun Riahi, an
actress who backed the protests, in a post on Instagram expressing
support for the student. Hossein Ronaghi, a prominent Iranian activist
who was jailed during the protests, in a post on X hailed the "bravery"
of the student and described her action as a "cry from the bottom of the
heart against the oppression that has taken the life out of people,
especially women." >>
(AFP)-Source:
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20241103-iran-arrests-female-student-stripped-protest-dress-code
Iranwire - November 4, 2024 - by Solmaz Eikdar
<<Iran Labels Women Protesters as 'Mentally Ill' to Discredit Dissent
Hours after images surfaced of a young woman in Tehran stripping to her
underwear in protest, government-affiliated media claimed she "suffered
from a mental disorder." The accusation mirrors a longstanding tactic by
the Islamic Republic against women protesters, especially those opposing
mandatory hijab laws. Shortly after images of the incident were
circulated, the university-affiliated newspaper Farhikhtegan reported
that the student, known online as the girl <lacks mental health> and had
been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The young woman removed her
clothing after university security insulted her over her attire. Soon
after the incident, Azad University's Public Relations Director and
Farhikhtegan claimed she was mentally ill and, following a brief
detention at the police station, had been transferred to a psychiatric
hospital. The claim was made without providing any evidence of her
alleged illness. Independent sources confirmed that she was a
seventh-semester French language student who had shown no mental health
issues until the violent confrontation with university security on
November 2.
Labeling Opponents and Protesters as <Mentally Ill>
The Islamic Republic has frequently labeled political opponents,
protesters, and political prisoners as <mentally ill> during its over 40
years of rule.
In recent years, several political and ideological prisoners have
reported being forcibly admitted to psychiatric hospitals, where they
were administered drugs that impaired movement or speech, and some were
subjected to electroconvulsive therapy. Among the women accused of
mental illness was Vida Movahed, the "Enghelab Street Girl," who, in
2017, climbed a utility box on Enghelab Street and held her headscarf
aloft in protest of mandatory hijab. She was detained immediately, and
the judiciary spokesperson at the time later claimed she suffered from
depression. In 2019, Sahar Khodayari, known as the "Blue Girl," set
herself on fire after learning she might face prison for attempting to
enter a stadium to watch an Esteghlal FC football game. When news of her
self-immolation spread, judiciary officials claimed she had bipolar
disorder. The strategy of portraying political dissent as mental illness
is reminiscent of tactics used in the former Soviet Union, where it was
systematically used against individuals opposing the Communist
government. In the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev characterized
"anti-Soviet beliefs" as a mental disorder, implying that opposition to
the government indicated mental instability. Following the Woman, Life,
Freedom protests, the Islamic Republic has similarly used this method
extensively.
Optional Dress Code Branded as <Illness>
Jina Amini
Since the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody and the rise
of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, many women have defied Iran's
mandatory dress code laws. In response, some officials have labeled
opponents of the mandatory hijab as <mentally ill.> The judiciary has
even sentenced some supporters of optional dress codes to see
psychiatrists. For instance, famous Iranian actress Afsaneh Bayegan was
sentenced to weekly therapy sessions to <treat her anti-family
character.> Another actress, Azadeh Samadi, who opposed mandatory hijab,
was ordered to bi-weekly therapy for <antisocial personality disorder>
and <attention-seeking through public misconduct.> Artist Leila Bloukat
faced similar penalties.
Many women detained in protests have also been sent to psychiatric
hospitals. Student activist Melika Qaragozlou was detained in November
2022 and transferred to a psychiatric hospital.
Roya Zakeri
Roya Zakeri, known as the "Tabriz Girl," was admitted to the women's
ward at Razi Psychiatric Hospital in Tabriz after shouting slogans
against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Additionally, Ghazal Ghasemi,
fiancée of slain protester Behnam Laieqpour, was detained at his
gravesite and sent to Shafa Psychiatric Hospital in Rasht.
Sarina Jahani
In recent weeks, the legal group Bidarzani reported that authorities
pressured 20-year-old Sarina Jahani, currently serving a two-year
sentence in Evin Prison, to transfer to Razi Psychiatric Hospital.
Comedian Zeinab Mousavi’s indictment similarly alleged that she suffers
from <mental health issues.>
Psychiatric Hospitalization as a Tool of Control
Human rights advocates argue that security agencies use psychiatric
hospitalization as a form of pressure on detained women. University of
Tehran student activist Soha Mortezaei was threatened with transfer to a
psychiatric hospital during her detention. Through these actions, the
Islamic Republic appears to be using its media apparatus to discredit
protesting women by labeling them as mentally ill, attempting to
undermine the legitimacy of their grievances and silence dissent.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/135718-iran-labels-women-protesters-as-mentally-ill-to-discredit-dissent/
Iranwire - November 4, 2024 - by Roghayeh Rezaei
<<Iranian Women Use Their Bodies to Fight the Regime
A female student at Tehran's Islamic Azad University stripped to her
underwear on campus after university security personnel harassed her and
tore her clothing for not wearing a headscarf. University officials
later claimed she was transferred to a psychiatric hospital. Social
media users now call her the "Science and Research Girl," after Tehran's
Science and Research Campus, where the incident occurred. Known for its
scenic mountainous location, this unit of the Islamic Azad University
has become the focal point of a protest that sparked widespread
attention online. The young woman's protest involved removing her
clothes completely after security forces tore them during the
confrontation. Shortly afterward, security agents violently arrested
her.
The Events Unfolded: Videos Capture Arrest
Videos circulating online, taken on Saturday, show a young woman in her
undergarments near the Science and Research Campus entrance. The footage
reveals that university security harassed her, which led to her clothes
being torn and prompted her to strip in protest. In other videos, the
woman is seen sitting and walking while two security officers-one
female-stand nearby, appearing to make phone calls. A few minutes later,
a second video shows her near the campus exit, where a small hatchback,
an uncommon vehicle for security use, arrives. Several men and women
wearing chadors surround her and force her into the car. Many online
have likened her detention to <kidnapping.> According to the Amir Kabir
Newsletter Telegram channel, a source confirmed that during the
struggle, her head hit a car door or post, causing her to bleed, with
visible blood stains on the car tyres.
University and Government Responses
As public concern grew over her arrest, university officials claimed
that she was suffering from <mental issues.> Pro-government Fars News
reported that she had attended class in <inappropriate clothing> and
undressed only after being asked to comply with campus dress codes. Amir
Mahjoub, the university's public relations manager, claimed that police
medical teams found her <under severe mental stress> and noted she had
<psychological issues.> He also added that she was a mother of two and a
divorcee, dealing with personal difficulties. A social media account,
Taraneh, released the student's initials, A.D., asserting that <no
assault took place.> Though the tweet was later deleted, screenshots
circulated widely, especially on accounts close to the government.
pro-government newspaper Farhikhtegan reposted this version, attributing
it to a classmate's perspective. In response, Amir Mahjoub alleged that
the student had filmed her classmates and teacher and <committed an
indecent act> when confronted. He later posted a video featuring a
tearful man in a green hoodie asking people not to share footage of the
incident, claiming she is the mother of two with <mental health
challenges.> However, social media users argue that the Taraneh account
has a history of spreading similar stories, suggesting it might be part
of government propaganda.
Support for the 'Science and Research Girl'
Despite conflicting narratives, support for the "Science and Research
Girl" has been strong. Actress Katayoun Riahi, a prominent supporter of
the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, shared a post expressing solidarity,
while lawyer Maryam Kian Arsi offered to represent the student pro bono.
Civil rights activist Hossein Ronaghi also praised her courage on social
media, calling it a flame that would ultimately "burn the roots of
oppression."
Roya Hashemati
Roya Hashemati, who received 74 lashes for posting photos without a
headscarf, also expressed solidarity with the student on Instagram.
An Act of Defiance
Social activist Asieh Amini noted that while acts of resistance against
mandatory hijab have become common, the specifics of this case reveal an
especially painful form of protest. Amini explained that for this
student, her body became her only tool of resistance: "There comes a
time when your headscarf alone isn't enough, and the only thing left to
resist with is your body," she said. Amini likened the defiance to
self-harm, adding that stripping in a setting where campus security
entrapped her was a form of self-sacrifice. The student's condition and
whereabouts remain unknown, raising concern, especially given the fate
of Roya Zakeri, known as the "Tabriz Girl," who, during Woman, Life,
Freedom protests, was detained after chanting "Death to Khamenei."
According to human rights activists, Zakeri was subsequently subjected
to cycles of psychiatric hospitalization and Revolutionary Court
hearings.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/135707-iranian-women-use-their-bodies-to-fight-the-regime/
VIDA MOVAHED
Center for Human Rights in Iran - Nov 4 2024
<<Student Who Undressed to Protest Iran’s Repressive Dress Code Joins
Other Dissidents Forced Into Psychiatric Centers
World Must Demand Her Immediate Release and Due Process Rights
Iran's Use of Psychiatric Centers to Punish Dissidents Is Severe
Violation of Law
November 4, 2024 - The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) is gravely
concerned over the condition of a female student who was arrested
outside her university in Iran and forcibly transferred to a psychiatric
hospital after stripping to her undergarments in a protest against the
country's repressive mandatory dress code. The forced transfer of
peaceful protesters, dissidents, and political prisoners to psychiatric
hospitals as tools of repression to delegitimize acts of protest and
silence dissenting voices is a routine practice by the Islamic Republic
and has been increasingly used since the eruption of the Women, Life,
Freedom protests that erupted across Iran in 2022. "Iranian authorities
systematically use involuntary psychiatric hospitalization as a tool to
suppress dissent, branding protesters as mentally unstable to undermine
their credibility," said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of CHRI.
"Authorities isolate the individual, intensify security pressures, and
tightly control the narrative-blocking journalists and civil society
members from independently investigating or reporting on the case,"
Ghaemi added.
CHRI calls on the UN, governments, and medical and psychiatric
associations around the world to demand that the Iranian authorities
immediately:
Release the student and guarantee her full due process rights;
Cease the practice of forced psychiatric admission for dissidents,
protesters, and political prisoners;
Respect the rights of the people of Iran to peacefully protest.
Videos circulating online on Saturday, November 2, 2024, show a young
woman stripping to her undergarments at the entrance of Tehran's Islamic
Azad University Science and Research Campus after reportedly being
harassed by campus security officers over her hijab. Another video
captures the moment when a group of plainclothes individuals swiftly
surround her and forcibly push her into an unmarked vehicle. "Oh God,
how many of them are attacking just one person?" a person is heard
saying in the video. Mohammad Ghorbani, spokesperson for Islamic Azad
University, said that the student was taken to a psychiatric hospital.
There has been no further information about her whereabouts or
condition. "Transferring individuals who participate in peaceful
protests to psychiatric hospitals represents not only an act of
arbitrary detention but also constitutes a form of kidnapping. This
practice is a blatantly unlawful move to discredit activists by labeling
them mentally unstable," Ghaemi said. Imprisoned human rights activist
and Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi, who is being punished through
a different tool the Islamic Republic uses to suppress peaceful dissent,
namely the denial of critical medical care to political prisoners,
commented on the arrest of the student: "The regime cannot force
protesting women, who have made their bodies symbols of dissent and
defiance against misogyny and tyranny, into retreat by labeling them as
'mentally unstable,' 'sexually deviant,' or 'misled.'"
Forced Transfer to Psychiatric Centers Common Tactic, Especially with
Women
Transferring prisoners and protesters to psychiatric hospitals has long
been a common tactic employed by the security and judicial apparatus of
the Islamic Republic of Iran, and in the aftermath of the "Woman, Life,
Freedom" protests, it has increasingly targeted women. If an individual
has not consented to hospitalization, this amounts to arbitrary
detention and constitutes a violation of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a signatory. Iran's
own Guidelines for Special Situations in Rehabilitation and Treatment
Centers for Psychiatric Patients also stipulate that if a person with
acute mental health conditions has not been declared <incapacitated> by
medical or judicial authorities, her/his personal consent is necessary
to carry out any medical treatment. International law strictly forbids
forced psychiatric treatment without confirmation by a "qualified mental
health practitioner" that such treatment is "urgently necessary in order
to prevent immediate or imminent harm to the patient or to other
persons."
Past Cases of Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment of Dissidents
Melika Gharegozlou, a journalism student at Allameh Tabataba'i
University, was arrested on October 2, 2022, and sentenced to over four
years in prison for posting a video of herself without the
state-mandated headscarf. On November 16, 2022, she was forcibly
transferred to the Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital in Tehran against her
consent and without informing her family or lawyer. There, she reported
torture and began a hunger strike to protest her treatment.
Roya Zakeri
In November 2023, a video emerged showing a young woman, Roya Zakeri, in
Tabriz shouting "death to the dictator" after being harassed by morality
police over her hijab. Shortly after, reports emerged indicating that
she had been transferred to Tabriz Psychiatric Hospital. "The Islamic
Republic has tried to portray me as mentally ill; I am in complete
physical and mental health," Zakeri said in a video after her release on
bail. During the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, schoolchildren accused
of participating in the nationwide demonstrations in Iran were detained
in so-called <psychological centers> under the guise of reeducation.
Authorities used this practice as a justification to abduct and
unlawfully hold children who dared to join the protests. In July 2023,
three prominent Iranian actresses-Azadeh Samadi, Leila Bolukat, and
Afsaneh Bayegan-were labeled as <mentally ill,> <anti-family,> and
<antisocial> during their sentencing in a Tehran criminal court for
defying the country's mandatory hijab laws. Bayegan was sentenced to
mandatory bi-weekly therapy sessions for her refusal to wear the hijab
in public, along with a two-year suspended prison sentence-leaving her
at constant risk of imprisonment-and a two-year ban on social media and
travel. This prompted four leading psychiatry boards in Iran to issue a
joint letter to judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, saying: "The
diagnosis of mental disorders is within the competence of a
psychiatrist, not a judge. Just as the diagnosis of other diseases is in
the competence of doctors, not judges."
Saman Yasin, a Kurdish rapper and outspoken critic who was arrested
during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, was forcibly hospitalized in
a psychiatric facility on July 23, 2023, just two days after releasing
an audio message from prison in which he spoke about the injustices of
his trial and the torture he was subjected to in detention. Yasin was
hospitalized at the Razi Psychiatric Hospital in southern Tehran, the
same hospital where Sufi political prisoner Behnam Mahjoubi was tortured
before dying in state custody.
Other political prisoners and detainees who've been subjected to
unlawful and involuntary medical treatment over the past few years in
Iranian state custody include:
Political prisoner Javad Mohammadi-Fard
Political prisoner Shahram Kazemian
Political prisoner Saber Balandeh
Civil rights activist Majid Rezaei
Student Armita Pavir
Human rights lawyer Payam Derafshan
Teachers' rights activist Hashem Khastar
Political activist Leila Mirghafari
Journalist Kianoush Sanjari
Political activist Sakineh Parvaneh
Political activist Farzin Rezaie-Roshan
Political activist Ali Nouri
Political activist Meysam Bahramabadi
Political activist Amir Mehdi Tabasi
Journalist and activist Hengameh Shahidi
Political activist Zahra Jabari
Journalist Kianoosh Sanjari
Political prisoner Babak Dadbakhsh>>
Source:
https://iranhumanrights.org/2024/11/student-who-undressed-to-protest-irans-repressive-dress-code-joins-other-dissidents-forced-into-psychiatric-centers/
Women's Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2024
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