Please join us in this ongoing electronic vigil in solidarity with women's rights activists in detention in Iran. Read the first news and call for vigil and the background for more info. Use the links on the left of this screen for direct information from Iran and to participate in electronic actions in support of the women's rights activists. While you're online, we encourage you to try the electronic sit-in at the Iranian President's site. Your computer will do the work, all you need to do is leave the sit-in window open. How does it works?


UPDATE AS OF 1:49 PM GMT, SUN 15 APRIL 2007:
According to Zanestan (Farsi), a bail has been set for Mahboubeh Hossein Zadeh and Nahid Keshavarz, but they have not been released yet. Meanwhile, the "security court" authorities have called 5 other activists to attend court on charges of endangering national security. Several others were called in for interrogation and have received formal charges. All of these activists were amongst those who were arrested on 8 March and later released. Remain informed and vigilant. Participate in the sit-in at the President's site or send him a letter and let him know what you think about all this. We will continue this vigil in support of women's rights activists until their demands are met.


UPDATE AS OF 1:39 PM GMT, SAT 07 APRIL 2007:
Zanestan (Farsi) reports that Mahboubeh Hossein Zadeh and Nahid Keshavarz are still in prison but no charges have been brought against them. Both have been able to speak to their families but the court and prison authorities have not allowed a visit. This is part of an intimidation campaign against women's rights activists. Remain informed and vigilant. Participate in the sit-in at the President's site or send him a letter and let him know what you think about all this. We will continue this vigil in support of women's rights activists until their demands are met.


UPDATE AS OF 1:50 PM GMT, THU 05 APRIL 2007:
In the last two weeks while we were away and unable to update this site, more news has come of the arrest of a few other women's rights activists in Iran. According to Zanestan and BBC (both in Farsi), the police in Tehran arrested 5 activists in Laleh Park while they were collecting signatures for the One Million Signatures campaign for changing discriminatory laws in Iran. 3 were released after a night in jail, but Mahboubeh Hossein Zadeh and Nahid Keshavarz have been taken to section 209 of Evin Prison (reserved for political prisoners). Read Human Rights First press release about the arrests. Remain informed and vigilant. Participate in the sit-in at the President's site or send him a letter and let him know what you think about all this. We will continue this vigil in support of women's rights activists until their demands are met.


UPDATE AS OF 11:14 PM GMT, THU 22 MARCH 2007:
HAPPY NOROOZ! HAPPY SPRING! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL IRANIANS!
We have no updates at this time. We hope that Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh are having a peaceful reunion at least for a few days as their legal cases are on hold because of the new year holidays. Remain informed and vigilant. We will continue this vigil in support of women's rights activists until their demands are met.


UPDATE AS OF 03:27 PM GMT, MON 19 MARCH 2007: Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh have just been released on bail (Meydan, in Farsi). This is not the end of the ordeal for them nor for other women's rights activists who were arrested. They must still attend court and defend themselves against unjust and repressive laws in Iran, while the authorities use all kinds of pressure tactics to block their activism including shutting down the NGOs they founded. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. We will continue this vigil in support of women's rights activists until their demands are met.


UPDATE AS OF 03:39 PM GMT, SAT 17 MARCH 2007: Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh are still in prison and their lawyer's efforts to get a more reasonable bail amount has not succeeded (Meydan, in English). Read Amnesty International's latest public statement about the waves of arrests in Iran. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 03:01 PM GMT, FRI 16 MARCH 2007: Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh remain in solitary confinement at Evin Prison. Abbasgholizadeh was finally allowed a phone call to her family. Reportedly, the court is about to set bail for both women, each in the amount of $200 million tumans and only as property title. The huge amount and format of the bail is unprecedented and impossible to put up by the families of the activists. Considering that the country is entering the new year holiday period when all offices will shut down, the unusual and difficult bail indicates the authorities' intention to keep Sadr and Abbasgholizadeh in prison for as long as possible (Meydan, in Farsi). Meanwhile, on Thursday evening, the security and police forces entered the offices of two NGOs - Raahi Legal Center, founded by Shadi Sadr, that offered legal counseling to women, and Nongovernmental Organizations Training Center (NGOTC), founded by Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh. These offices were searched, videotaped, material confiscated and then shut down. (Meydan, in English and Zanestan, in Farsi). Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 09:20 PM GMT, WED 14 MARCH 2007: Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh remain in solitary confinement at Evin Prison. Although Sadr was permitted to call her family from the prison, there has been no direct communication with Abbashgholizadeh and her family, recalling the case of Zahra Kazemi who was killed while in detention, are in fear for her safety in prison (Meydan, in English). Meanwhile, Shirin Ebadi and Nasrin Setodeh, lawyers for two other women's rights activists, Mansoreh Shojayi and Farnaz Seifi, have filed complaints with the authorities with regards to the forced entry and search of their clients' homes by security and police forces without legal warrant (Zanestan, in Farsi). In related news, in reaction to a protest held in front of the Parliament by 30 teachers' unions who are demanding salary increases and reinstatement of teachers who have been fired from their jobs for political reasons, the police attacked the protestors and, according to eye-witness reports, arrested 50-60 people. There is no information about where they have been taken to and what they are charged with (Zanestan, in Farsi). Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 04:54 PM GMT, MON 12 MARCH 2007: Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh are still in solitary confinement at Evin Prison. They are reportedly on hunger strike. Zanestan (Farsi) is collecting signatures on a letter written by a large group of Iranian intellectuals and activists. The letter reads:
"On Sunday, March 4, two women's rights activists, Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh, who were participating in a peaceful gathering at the Revolutionary Court were arrested. We, the undersigned, denounce the illegal detention of these activists and demand their immediate and unconditional release. Their continued detention has no effect but to discourage those who refuse to resort to violence and continue to engage in civil activism within the framework of the laws of the Islamic Republic or Iran."
To sign the letter, add your name in the comment box on this page. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 02:29 PM GMT, SUN 11 MARCH 2007:According to news item on Meydan (Farsi) and Zanestan (Farsi), Iranian authorities have finally issued 'temporary' arrest warrants for Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh who have already been in Evin Prison for a week! This means their case will not be resolved any time soon. Both women are confirmed to be in section 209 of Evin, the section for political prisoners. Also, Zanestan (Farsi) reports that of the 7 activists who were detained on March 8th, 6 were just released while Ms Salimi has been moved to Evin Prison. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 01:16 AM GMT, SUN 11 MARCH 2007:According to news item on Meydan (Farsi), Ms Shadi Sadr, one of the activists in detention, was permitted to make a short phone call to her family and speak with her family including her 7-year-old daughter and her husband. Sadr, who is suffering from some health problems, told her husband not to expect her out any time soon. There is no news of Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh in spite of her family's numerous attempts to get some information about her status and whereabouts from the authorities and attempts to send her some personal items. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 08:16 PM GMT, SAT 10 MARCH 2007: The fate of the detained activists is unknown. According to news item on Zanestan (Farsi), Commander Radan, the chief of Tehran's law enforcement forces, confirmed the arrest of 28 activists on IWD, and stated that they have been formally charged and their cases sent to the legal system, and that he was not aware of the current status and whereabouts of the detainees. He also expressed that the activists were acting illegally by holding a gathering and thus there should be no objection to and disappointment at the arrests. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 07:13 PM GMT, FRI 09 MARCH 2007: No new developments with regards to the women who are in detention. 3 are still in Evin Prison and the whereabouts of the women arrested yesterday is still unknown. Amnesty International has issued a new press release but please note that their information is not up to date which is why they're not mentioning the 7 women who were arrested yesterday. According to announcement made on Zanestan (Farsi), security forces and police are now entering the houses of activists to search and confiscate material including mobile phones. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 11:58 AM GMT, FRI 09 MARCH 2007: No news about Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh and Shadi Sadr other than they're still in Evin Prison. According to announcement made on Zanestan (Farsi) and an emails sent out of Iran by one of the activists involved, the security and police forces arrested 7 young women in the crackdown on the IWD events yesterday in Tehran. Their whereabouts are unknown. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 3:36 AM GMT, FRI 09 MARCH 2007: One other activist, Jila Baniyaghoub, has been released on bail. Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh and Shadi Sadr remain in prison. According to Human Rights Watch, they are in solitary confinement and on hunger strike. Remain informed and vigilant. Keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


UPDATE AS OF 7:14 PM GMT, THU 08 MARCH 2007: Most activists, but not all, have been released. 3 are still in prison. The security forces and police aggressively dispersed the IWD gathering in Tehran earlier today. They also entered the houses of 2 activists who had not been arrested before at early hours of 8 March. They couldn't find the women so their families were forced to sign affidavits that the women will turn themselves in. BBC and other mainstream media are behind by several hours. Use the Meydan (English and Farsi) and Zanestan (Farsi) sites for more accurate and up-to-date information. These sites are kept updated fairly regularly by activists who are directly informed and involved. Remain vigilant and keep up the pressure. This is an ongoing vigil.


POSTED 8:49 AM GMT, THU 08 MARCH 2007: Happy International Women's Day!

On Sunday, 4 March 2007, the police and security forces violently attacked and arrested 33 women's rights activists as they stood in peaceful protest outside the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The activists had gathered in solidarity with the five women who were being tried in connection with demonstrations held on 12 June 2007 to demand equal rights for women.

As of 8:49 a.m. GMT, Thursday, 8 March 2007, three of the activists who were arrested on Sunday remain in detention in section 209 of the infamous Evin Prison - one of the main sites of the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s.

The vigil links to the left of the screen connect you to Iranian and international information sources and a number of electronic solidarity actions that we encourage you to participate in. Help send a strong message to the Iranian authorities to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, and support women's campaign for change in Iran.

Refuse to Choose:
Support Local Action!
AND
Reject US Intervention!

This vigil is organized by Sirens of Solidarity.

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