CRY FREEDOM.net
formerly known as
Women's Liberation Front
'Insight is the first step of resistance against any ideologic form of dictatorial and misogynistic oppression'

Tribute to KIAN PIRFALA, 9 years old and victim of the Islamic Republic's savagery 10 years ago

 HEAR JINA AMINI'S VOICE
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
a wave of arrests of her fellow-citizen

Overview of news about the Second aniversary of Jina Amini's state-sactioned murder September 2024


JINA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.

Read also: Armita's Story: Iran's Generation Z Rebellion Against the Ayatollahs

Ongoing since Oct. 3, 2024:
Commemoration of the Fallen for
Freedom Part6
 Click here for previous Commemorations  
And more commemorational stories
Tortured to Death: The Story of Atefeh Na'ami
Violence During Woman, Life, Freedom Protests

'Women's Arab Spring 1.2'
March 19, 2025 10.15 AM GMT
 Incl. Syria: YPJ The Women’s Protection Units fighters

  
 About the Afghanistan Women Revolt
March 15, 2025 06.00 AM GMT

PALESTINE
March 18, 2025 18.00 GMT
Israel resumed its relentless bombing of Gaza
"The unmistakable sounds of genocide"
March 15, 2025 17.00 PM GMT

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 March 19, 2025) z

UPDATES OF THE UPRISING  AND REVOLUTION AROUND THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF JINA AMINI IN CUSTODY OF THE REGIME'S ATTEMPT AND CRUELTY TO TRY AND CRUSH IT.

This links to a page that is in full dedicated and a tribute to Jina Amini who, with stilll 'till today too many other sisters gave their life for freedom. Long live a long and free Iran 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

We all grief for the loss of our sister / daughter of Iran Armita Gevarnand:   Read her updated story here

'War against the No-hijabi women' Update Dec. 20, 2024: Iranian Women Rise Against the New Hijab Law with the Slogan "Woman, Resistance, Freedom" Nov. 13, 2024: hijab-torture clinics

& Actual news:  Generation Z Leads Hijab Rebellion on Tehran’s Streets and Earlier Stories and more

UPDATE March 13, 2025

Sisters 4 each other, Sisters 4 All
Narges Mohammadi: "Tyranny will fall"
Pakhshan Azizi: "You dictator, I am Arash, fire responds to fire,"
Sharifeh Mohammadi: "Finally, one day, I will sing the song of victory from the summit of the mountain, like the sun. Tomorrow belongs to us"
Varisha Moradi: "Resistance is life"
 in continuation of the resistance of the 4 sisters and others
Earlier reports
and
read all their previous fights

When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
 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.

Symbol of restance of Iranian women


Joint Letter-Global Coalition
Iran Human Rights - March 18, 2025
<<Joint Letter: Global Coalition Calls on Iran to Cease Persecution of Human Rights Lawyers
Iran’s Lawyers in a “Perilous Position,” Face Arrest, Torture and Imprisonment
Statement Asks UN to Relay Concerns Directly to Iranian Authorities
In a joint statement released today, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) and nine international legal associations condemned the intensified state crackdown on lawyers in Iran “simply for defending human rights and respect for the rule of law,” noting that “the systematic targeting of lawyers by the state in Iran shows no signs of stopping, with escalated attacks in January and February 2025.” The statement noted that the “Islamic Republic of Iran’s absolute disregard for the rule of law and the Iranian judiciary’s lack of independence have left the country’s lawyers in a perilous position. Lawyers face a multitude of risks when carrying out their duties, including threats, bans and disbarment, arbitrary arrest and detention, unjustified criminal prosecution, torture, and imprisonment following unfair trials. Lawyers handling cases related to human rights, political dissidents, or minority groups are particularly at risk.” The statement by CHRI, the Law Society of England and Wales, Front Line Defenders, the Frontline Lawyers Association, the Geneva Bar Association, theInternational Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC), Lawyers for Lawyers, Ordre des Avocats de Paris / Paris Bar, and the Association des juristes progressistes (AJP), detailed the cases of multiple lawyers in Iran who are serving long prison sentences for their defense of human rights.
The coalition urges the Iranian authorities to:
Ensure that all lawyers in Iran can perform their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference;
Ensure that lawyers are not subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention and prosecution when conducting their professional duties;
Guarantee that all lawyers may exercise their right to freedom of expression, belief, association and peaceful assembly;
Ensure the immediate and unconditional release of lawyers who are arbitrarily detained and prosecuted for their legitimate professional activities or exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression, belief, association and peaceful assembly;
Ensure that all individuals charged with offences are guaranteed due process and fair trial rights and guarantee everyone’s right to defense and effective access to justice.
The Joint Statement also urges all relevant UN human rights mechanisms to continue monitoring and reporting on the situation for lawyers, highlighting these concerns in any communications with Iranian authorities, and urges bar associations, law societies, and civil society organizations around the world to support Iranian lawyers inside and outside of Iran. Read the full letter below and share it across your networks to demand an end to the egregious persecution of human rights lawyers in Iran.
Systematic state persecution of lawyers in Iran continues with fresh round of interrogations and indictments
Joint statement, 18 March 2025
We, the undersigned organisations, are dismayed by the intensified state crackdown on lawyers in Iran simply for defending human rights and respect for the rule of law. The systematic targeting of lawyers and human rights defenders by the state in Iran shows no signs of stopping, with escalated attacks in January and February 2025. On 3 February 2025, the prosecutor’s office in Mashhad issued indictments against 15 lawyers on the charge of “propaganda against the state,” reportedly due to social media activities and posts that expressed concern over human rights violations, social and economic injustices in Iran’s impoverished provinces, corruption, and other aspects of state policy. Initially, 17 lawyers were interrogated, with two issued restraining orders and 15 formally charged with offences against the state. The investigating judge at Branch 901 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in District 9 of Mashhad had dismissed the case, but the prosecutor objected and Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad intervened, overturning the judge’s initial decision and issuing the indictments. There have also been reports that Iranian state agents have warned other lawyers not to intervene in the cases against these 15 lawyers. It is not unusual in Iran for lawyers to receive threats by state agents against themselves or their families that are intended to discourage them from taking on sensitive cases. Disbarment or suspension of licenses is also used to silence lawyers. This not only deprives individuals of their livelihood and defendants of their legal right to defence but also stifles the legal community’s ability to function independently. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s absolute disregard for the rule of law and the Iranian judiciary’s lack of independence have left the country’s lawyers in a perilous position. Lawyers face a multitude of risks when carrying out their duties, including threats, bans and disbarment, arbitrary arrest and detention, unjustified criminal prosecution, torture, and imprisonment following unfair trials. Lawyers handling cases related to human rights, who are human rights defenders themselves, political dissidents, or minority groups are particularly at risk. Presently, multiple lawyers in Iran are serving long prison sentences for their defence of human rights. To name just a few cases that have been publicly reported, Mohammad Najafi has been in prison since 2018; Amirsalari Davoudi was handed a 10-year sentence which he began serving in 2022 (having been previously detained from November 2018 until June 2021; he was released in September 2024 pending a Supreme Court review of his case but could be sent back to prison at any time); and Mohammad Reza Faghihi is serving a five-year prison sentence. Recently, Behnam Nezadi has been sentenced to four months in prison and one year of disbarment; Seyed Mehdi Karimi Farsi was sentenced to one year in prison; and Taher Naqvi was also sentenced to six years in prison. In addition, Javad Alikordi, the brother of lawyer Khosrow Alikordi who was recently released from prison after serving his sentence, has been arrested by Iranian Intelligence Ministry agents and transferred to an undisclosed location, and Payam Derafshan was reportedly summoned recently to the Prosecutor’s Office in Karaj on security-related charges. The situation for lawyers in Iran is documented in the alternative reports of many of the undersigned organisations to the Universal Periodic Review of Iran’s human rights record, which took place on 24 January 2025. Top UN experts noted in a 2024 statement that the Government of Iran has “imprisoned, tortured and disbarred lawyers solely for defending human rights” and that “at least 66 lawyers have been arrested and detained since September 2022, [when the “Women, Life Freedom” protests erupted across Iran] apparently in an attempt to both intimidate them and to prevent them from representing protestors. Eleven of these lawyers have been sentenced, and 47 have been released pending trial.” Under international human rights law, lawyers must be free to practice their profession without interference and are entitled to respect for their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. Iran ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on 24 June 1975 and has an obligation to respect and guarantee the rights established therein, including the right to liberty and security of person (Article 9), the right to a fair trial (Article 14) and the right to freedom of expression (Article 19). Furthermore, in accordance with Principle 16 of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Basic Principles), governments should “ensure that lawyers (a) are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; […] and (c) shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics.” In addition, Principle 23 of the Basic Principles states that: “Lawyers like other citizens are entitled to freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly. They shall have the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights.” Moreover, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders stipulates that “Everyone has the right, […] to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights […]” and “to offer and provide professionally qualified legal assistance […] in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The targeting of lawyers by the state is an egregious assault on the independence of the legal profession, the fundamental rights of all Iranians, and the rule of law in Iran.
Accordingly, the undersigned organisations urge the Iranian authorities to:
Ensure that all lawyers in Iran can perform their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference;
Ensure that lawyers are not subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention and prosecution when conducting their professional duties;
Guarantee that all lawyers may exercise their right to freedom of expression, belief, association and peaceful assembly;
Ensure the immediate and unconditional release of lawyers who are arbitrarily detained and prosecuted for their legitimate professional activities or exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression, belief, association and peaceful assembly;
Ensure that all individuals charged with offences are guaranteed due process and fair trial rights and guarantee everyone’s right to defence and effective access to justice pursuant to Iran’s obligations under the ICCPR and other human rights treaties and standards.
Additionally, we urge relevant UN human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran, to continue monitoring and reporting on the situation for lawyers and independence of the legal profession, and highlighting these concerns in any communications with Iranian authorities.
Finally, we urge bar associations, law societies, and civil society organisations around the world to support Iranian lawyers inside and outside of Iran, including practical support and, where possible, monitoring and reporting on violations of lawyers’ professional guarantees.
SIGNED:>>
https://iranhumanrights.org/2025/03/joint-letter-global-coalition-calls-on-iran-to-cease-persecution-of-human-rights-lawyers/

And
International Human Rights Day


International Human Rights Day
NCRI - March 15, 2025 - in Women's News
<<Fact-Finding Mission on Iran Highlights Systematic Persecution of Women and Girls
The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission, in its latest report, once again highlights the ongoing systematic and targeted repression by the Iranian regime against dissidents, particularly women and human rights activists. The findings of the Fact-Finding Mission indicate that Iranian women and girls remain the primary targets of repressive policies, with the enforcement of strict laws, including mandatory hijab, becoming even more severe. The report also underscores the responsibility of state institutions, including the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Basij, the Morality Police, and the judiciary, in human rights violations. The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission calls for continued international investigations and accountability measures. It warns that given the entrenched nature of repression in Iran and the lack of judicial independence, justice for victims and guarantees of non-recurrence can only be achieved through international pressure and global accountability mechanisms.
Following is the text of the press release issued in Geneva on March 14, 2025.
Iran: Government continues systematic repression and escalates surveillance to crush dissent in the aftermath of protests, UN Fact-Finding Mission says
GENEVA – Two and a half years after the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests began in September 2022, the Government of Iran continues to ramp up efforts to restrict the rights of women and girls, and others demanding human rights as part of a concerted effort to crush dissent, the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran warned in a new report today. These repressive measures come despite pre-election assurances by the current President Masoud Pezeshkian to ease strict enforcement of mandatory hijab laws. They involve the increased use of technology and surveillance, including through State-sponsored vigilantism, that further infringe upon women and girls’ fundamental rights. Since April 2024, the State increased policing of, and criminal prosecution against, women defying the mandatory hijab through the adoption of the so-called “Noor plan.” Women human rights defenders and activists have continued to face criminal sanctions, including fines, lengthy prison sentences, and in some cases the death penalty for peaceful activities in support of human rights. The report, to be presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 18 March 2025, found that these measures reflect the State’s ongoing persecutory conduct aimed at suppressing women and girls’ human rights, and their right to equality. “For two years, Iran has refused to adequately acknowledge the demands for equality and justice that fueled the protests in 2022. The criminalisation, surveillance and continued repression of protesters, families of victims and survivors, in particular women and girls is deeply worrying,” said Sara Hossain, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. Persecutory acts were also directed against victims of torture, use of force, and other violations during the protests and their families, who have been systematically intimidated to remain silent about the harm suffered during the protests, and against those who act in solidarity with them, such as human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists. Many of those persecuted have been compelled to leave Iran since. Beyond intensifying surveillance, the State has expanded restrictions on digital space, extending its repression beyond Iran’s borders to silence human rights defenders, including journalists, who speak up from abroad, the report found. So far, 10 men have been executed in the context of the protests, and at least 11 men and 3 women remain at risk of being executed, including for protected conduct, against the backdrop of serious concerns over the adherence to the right to a fair trial, including the use of torture tainted confessions, and due process violations. The Fact-Finding Mission reviewed information provided by victims and witnesses, as well as the Government, and collected through extensive open-source investigations, regarding accountability efforts at the domestic level. It found that while some measures have been taken, including some prosecutions of law enforcement officials for unlawful use of force and instances of compensation paid to victims, these measures remain sporadic and inadequate. More fundamentally, the State has largely denied responsibility for gross human rights violations, some of which the Mission found to amount to crimes against humanity. Its judicial system lacks basic independence, and victims and families seeking accountability are not only denied justice, but are also continuously intimidated, threatened, arrested, and subjected to criminal prosecution. “Although it is the Government of Iran’s primary duty to provide redress to victims, we have heard from countless victims and survivors that they have neither confidence nor trust in Iran’s judicial and legal system, to provide meaningful truth, justice and reparations,” said Shaheen Sardar Ali, an expert member of the Fact-Finding Mission. “It is therefore imperative that comprehensive accountability measures also continue to be pursued outside the country.” Over the course of two years, the Fact-Finding Mission has collected and preserved an extensive body of evidence, including over 38,000 evidence items and interviewed 285 victims and witnesses. The report reaffirmed its previous findings of gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity. The Mission also investigated more cases of rape of women protesters, including gang rape, and protester deaths characterised by the State as “suicides,” as well as the widespread use of mock executions of detainees, amounting to torture. In relation to children, the mission found that security forces made little or no distinction between adult and child protesters – subjecting them to similar treatment, including unlawful use of force, torture and a range of fair trial violations. In strengthening the evidence underlying its previous findings, the mission found that ethnic and religious minorities, in particular Kurds and Baluchis, as well as LGBTQ+ persons were particularly targeted in the context of the protests and victims of violations and crimes, including persecution. The Fact-Finding Mission also expanded its investigation into the roles, structures, and responsibilities of State entities such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Basij, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Ministry of Interior, the police (FARAJA), including its special forces, and the “morality police”, the provincial governors, as well as the Judiciary. It made findings on responsibility of these entities in relation to the use of force, detention, criminal trials and death penalty, and the mandatory hijab enforcement. In this context, the Fact-Finding Mission further investigated the responsibility of entities involved in the gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity, the heads of which bear responsibility in light of their roles and authority. In the context of its preservation mandate, the Fact-Finding Mission conducted a detailed mapping of the structures of State entities. It also collected and analysed material on the identities and responsibility of alleged perpetrators, which it included in a confidential list, which will be handed over to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the end of the mandate. In recognising that the human rights concerns in Iran are both complex and extensive and exceed the mandate of the current Fact-Finding Mission, the report calls on the Human Rights Council to consider appointing a new, independent body to follow-up on the Fact-Finding Mission’s work. The report noted that such a body could continue investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations in Iran, both past and on-going, and their root causes, such as structural and systemic discrimination, on grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion and/or political beliefs. “The Government’s policies have denied victims in Iran the right to truth, justice, and reparations,” said Viviana Krsticevic, an expert member of the Fact-Finding Mission. “Given the gravity of the violations in the country and the serious risk of recurring violence against those who express dissent or challenge the State and its policies, it is crucial for the Human Rights Council to continue supporting the victims in their search for redress and non-repetition. This includes fostering all necessary measures, in accordance with international human rights law, to prevent further violations — reinforcing the Council’s vital role in prevention,” she added.
Background: The UN Human Rights Council mandated the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran on 24 November 2022 to investigate alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that began there on 16 September 2022, especially with respect to women and children. On 20 December 2022, the President of the Human Rights Council announced the appointment of Sara Hossain (Bangladesh), Shaheen Sardar Ali (Pakistan) and Viviana Krsticevic (Argentina) to serve as the three independent members of the Mission and appointed Sara Hossain as its Chair.>>
Source: https://wncri.org/2025/03/15/fact-finding-mission-on-iran/


Women's Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2025