Iran Targeting Women Activists

Women activists in Iran have recently found themselves at the center of the Iranian Government’s attention—only not in the manner they would like. Many of these women who have been peacefully advocating for the equality of women in Iran have found themselves questioned, harassed, detained, imprisoned or convicted of such things including but not limited to “gathering and colluding to disturb national security.” The right of freedom of assembly is a recognized human right under international law.

On June 12th of 2006 women activists gathered in Tehran to protest laws that discriminate against women.1 The police broke up the crowd using several different techniques, such as beating, spraying pepper gas, and marking them with color spray, and took 70 women into custody.2

On April 18th of 2006, two women who were on trial for participating in a peaceful demonstration on June 12th of the previous year were sentenced: one woman received 4 years imprisonment of which 3 were suspended, and the other woman received 2 years imprisonment of which 18 month were suspended.3

In March more than 32 women activists were arrested while protesting outside of a courthouse where five women were on trial for organizing a protest last June.4 According to BBC News the women held up banners saying: “We have the right to hold peaceful protests.”5

More recently, Haleh Esfandiari, an American-Iranian academic was jailed May 8 and will face charges of “seeking to topple the ruling Islamic establishment.”6

The Washington Post reveals that women activists have also come under attack for participating in the “Change for Equality” campaign, whereby they are seeking to obtain “One Million Signatures” for a petition to end legalized discrimination.7 It is hard to imagine that collecting signatures for a petition is jeopardizing national security. Furthermore, some of these laws they are peacefully protesting include the following discriminatory actions: (1) when a woman is a witness to a serious crime, her testimony is only worth half of a man’s and so a suspect may go free since a woman’s word does not carry as much weight as a man’s; (2) girls as of age 9 may be executed by hanging or stoning for adultery or morality crimes, but boys may only be executed starting at the age of 15; and (3) the Iranian government compensates families under certain situation for accidents involving the death of their children, except that a family whose daughter dies will only receive half of what they would if a boy had died.8

As you may or may not know, under Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, people have the right to freedom of assembly. Furthermore, under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, of which Iran is a party to, the right to peaceful assembly is granted, and may only be restricted if the restriction imposed is in conformity with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security among other things.

The internationally recognized right to freedom of assembly in a peaceful manner may well have been violated by the Iranian government for arresting these women. It appears that Iran is attempting to cover its blatant discrimination and violations of human rights by charging these women with “threatening the national security.” The basis for Iran’s argument remains unclear.

It is hard to imagine any possible way Iran’s national security is being threatened by women who are peacefully demonstrating in the name of equality. It is possible that Iran may take the position that these activists who are demanding women’s equality are threatening national security since to some women’s equality is seen as a western phenomenon. I suppose it is left for others to decide how valid or preposterous a view that may be, and whether women’s equality can be regarded as a threat to national security.

Some may have the view that women’s equality is a western phenomenon and western influence is a threat to the national security of Iran and therefore women’s equality is a threat to national security. But then the question becomes is that really a valid basis for violating an individual’s right to freedom of assembly and actually imprisoning them as a threat to national security for peacefully demanding to be treated as an equal to those of the opposite sex. Is peacefully protesting to be treated as an equal really such an outrageous idea as to warrant being a threat to national security—many would think not.

Sources:
1. Human Rights Watch Online: “Iran: Women on Trial for Peaceful Demonstration: Activists Arrested for Protesting Discriminatory Laws” 27 February 2007.
2. Id.
3. Amnesty International USA Online: “Public Statement” 20 April 2007.
4. BBC News Online: “Iran Women Arrested Over Protest” 4 March 2007.
5. Id.
6. Boston Globe Online: “One Woman’s Terror in Iran” 23 May 2007.
7. Human Rights Watch Online: “Iran: Women on Trial for Peaceful Demonstration: Activists Arrested for Protesting Discriminatory Laws” 27 February 2007.
8. Washington Post Online: “33 Activist Women Arrested in Tehran” 6 March 2007.