Iran: Amnesty concerned about Mahboubeh Karami and 200 arrested women.

international | gender and sexuality | other press Monday June 23, 2008 16:21 by pat c

Amnesty International believe that womens rights activists in Iran are at risk of torture. Please send appeals to the Iranian President and judiciary. Full text at link.

Mahboubeh Karami, journalist and women’s rights defender, was arrested by plain clothed security forces on 13 June.The bus that Mahboubeh Karami was on travelled past Mellat Park, Tehran shortly after a demonstration had been held there. 200 other people are known to have been arrested in connection to the demonstration. Amnesty is not aware of any violence on the part of the protesters. The current whereabouts of all are unknown and they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Mahboubeh Karami's brother visited the Vozara detention centre to enquire about his sister. At the centre many relatives of those who had been arrested were there to find out about their relatives’ location and welfare, but all were told that there was no information.

According to the Campaign for Equality, Rezvan Moghaddam, a friend of Mahboubeh Karami, visited Vanak Square to see if she was in a detention centre there. She was also unable to uncover any news of Mahboubeh Karami’s whereabouts.

Please send messages of concern raising the following points:

expressing concern at the reports that 200 people, including Mahboubeh Karami, were arrested on 13 June following an apparently peaceful demonstration;

calling on the authorities to clarify the names and current whereabouts of all those arrested;

urging the authorities to ensure that none of those arrested are tortured or otherwise ill-treated while in detention;

calling for all those detained to be allowed immediate access to their families, lawyers of their choice and to any medical treatment they may require;

calling for the immediate release of all those detained unless they are charged with recognisably criminal offences and brought to trial promptly and fairly.

Send messages to:

Head of the Judiciary in Tehran
Mr Ali Reza Avaie
Karimkhan Zand Avenue,
Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Ally 17, No 152,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir

President
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
via website: www.president.ir/email