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27
November 2008
GENEVA – "Over the past two years, women's rights
defenders have faced an increasingly difficult situation and harassment in
the course of their non-violent activities in the defence of women's rights
in the Islamic Republic of Iran," warned a group of two UN human rights
experts.
In a joint statement, Special Rapporteurs Margaret
Sekaggya (situation of Human Rights Defenders) and Yakin Ertürk (Violence
against Women, its causes and consequences) expressed deep concern regarding
the ongoing crackdown of women's rights defenders in the Islamic Republic of
Iran.
"Women and men active in the 'One Million Signatures
Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws' campaign, a grass-roots movement
aimed at promoting full equality between women and men in Iranian law, have
been particularly targeted," said the UN experts.
While the group leading the campaign seeks to work within
the existing system and regulations and insists it is in no way a group in
direct opposition to the government; the group has met with serious
repression from the authorities.
"Peaceful demonstrators have been arrested, detained
and persecuted with prison sentences having been imposed on many of
them," said the UN Special Rapporteurs. "The Government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran continues to harass and intimidate women's rights
activists involved in the campaign and prevent them from travelling."
"To date, 18 joint communications have been sent to
the Iranian authorities concerning violations committed against over 70 human
rights defenders involved in the campaign, and on 5 April 2007 a press
release was issued on the situation," said the UN experts. "Until
now, we have received only three responses from the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran".
"The repression against the women's rights defenders
participating in the campaign most regrettably continues," stressed Ms.
Sekaggya and Ms. Ertürk.
For the UN Special
Rapporteurs, "women's participation in public life to promote an equal
treatment of women and men in the Islamic Republic of Iran should be
encouraged as a means to build a stronger and healthier society, in which
women's unique contributions can flourish."
In their joint communiqué,
the two UN experts urge the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
"to abide by its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of
all forms of Discrimination against Women, and respect the rights of women's
rights activists to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and to
freedom of opinion and expression."
ENDS
See : Full statment ...
For more information on
the work and mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights defenders write to defenders@ohchr.org, or to urgent-action@ohchr.org,
or visit the website http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/defenders/index.htm
For more information on the
work and mandate of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its
causes and consequences write to vaw@ohchr.org, or visit the
website http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/index.htm
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