WUNRN
The
Observatory for Protection of Human Rights Defenders
URGENT
APPEAL - For Ms. Mansoureh Behkish of Mourning Mothers of Iran - Summoned
to Prison
January
18, 2013 - The Observatory has been informed by the Iranian League
for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) about the summoning of
Ms. Mansoureh Behkish, a supporter of the “Mothers of Park
Laleh” (the “Mourning Mothers” of Iran)[1], also known for fighting
against the death penalty, to serve a prison sentence.
According to the information received, Ms. Mansoureh Behkish has been
summoned by the Shahid Moqaddas Sentences Implementation Bureau to report
herself to Evin prison in Tehran by January 29, 2013, at the latest where
she will serve her sentence to six months in prison
for “spreading propaganda against the system” (See
background information attached).
The Observatory is deeply concerned about the summoning of Ms.
Behkish, as it is arbitrary and clearly aims at sanctioning her
legitimate human rights activities. The Observatory therefore calls upon
the Iranian authorities to refrain from detaining Ms.
Behkish as well as to immediately and unconditionally release
all human rights defenders presently detained in Iran, and more generally
to put an end to all forms of harassment against them.
_________________________________________________________________
Women News Network
IRAN - MOURNING MOTHERS HUMAN RIGHTS
LEADER SENTENCED TO PRISON
Iranian human rights leader and organizing member of the Mourning Mothers (Mothers of Laleh Park), Ms. Mansoureh Behkish.
(WNN/Hrana)
The Mourning Mothers of Iran, also known as heroes throughout the region as
the ‘Mothers of Laleh Park,’ they work to bring attention to human rights
violations that continue to occur inside
The group has been working together for over 31 years on campaigns to demand justice against what they describe as “those responsible for ordering and carrying out individual and mass executions, ethnic and religious massacres, imprisonments, tortures, rapes and assassinations.” They have also spoken out publicly against the ‘illegal’ raiding and ransacking of homes and the pillaging of student dormitories by persons acting under Iranian government authority as far back as the 1980s.
Made up of older grandmothers as well as younger mothers, the women who have
been recognized internationally for their bravery, include many who have
personally lost children who were killed, detained or became ‘missing’ during
the green democracy movement protests following the June 2009 presidential
elections in Iran. The Mothers, who meet regularly in
A recent report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana), has outlined that
Ms. Mansoureh Behkish was sentenced to prison under penal code 610 of
Behkish was also sentenced to an additional 6 months in prison under penal code 500 of the Islamic Law, for what has been called instigating “propaganda” against Iran.
Suffering from numerous arrests and imprisonments since January 2010,
Behkish has been imprisoned in the notorious Section 209 of Evin Prison in
The arrest of Mansoureh Behkish was followed by wide spread protests from national and international human rights organizations and some foreign governments and The International Federation of Human Rights organizations in a statement, condemned the security forces and the judiciary for this arrest.
Mansoureh Behkish was among 33 women from the ‘Mourning Mothers’ group
arrested during their weekly meeting in
Mansoureh Behkish has lost six family members in the 80″s mass executions. She is facing this sentence, while being responsible for the care of her mother.
“Mansoureh Behkish was among 33 women from the ‘Mourning Mothers’ group
arrested during their weekly meeting in Laleh Park, Tehran, on 9 January 2010
and held for several days. On 17 March 2010, she was prevented from traveling
to
In a recent detailed outline provided by
- Paragraph 1, Section 19
of the International Civic and Political Treaty: Nobody can be abused or
harmed for political beliefs;
- Paragraph 2, Section 19
of the International Civic and Political Treaty: Everyone has the right to
freedom of expression. This right includes freedom of research, education
and distribution of all information and ideas without any limitation,
whether in oral, print, cultural and other forms;
- Section 19 of the
International Human Rights Charter: Everyone has the right to freedom of
conscience and expression.
“Women are treated unequally under Iranian law,” says a 2009 report
outlining the human rights situation in