Women’s Rights Groups Issue Announcement Concerning the Sentencing of Alieh Eghdomdust

On Thursday , January 29 , 2009 , the judiciary officers of Revolution Court in Tehran , arrested Aliyeh Eghdam Doost , a women’s movement activists in her house and transferred her to Evin prison sentenced to three years of imprisonment .

Execution of her three year imprisonment sentence, convicted of participating in the peaceful aggragation on June 12 , 2006 , in Haft-e Tir Square and transferring her to Evin prison is shocking news which has stunned all of us . Pursuant to principle 27 of the Constitution , peaceful aggragations are legally recognized and sentence of three years imprisonment for Aliyeh Eghdam Doost who had just been present in the aggragation is not only legally unacceptable but also such quick actions in carrying on the sentence is unjustifiable .

Implementation of Aliyeh Eghdam Doost’s sentence indicates the first steps in carrying out all sentences ruled against women’s movement in Iran . While defenders of right and various groups of women’s movement have frequently filed complaints against violation of police forces to the court , the judiciary authorities and mechanisms of our country have in no single case showed any interest and none of the persecutor officers has been summoned to court to explain . Such measures in the threshold of Global Women’s Day ( March 8 ) forces us to conclude that the executors of such unfair rules and regulations are supposed to take the most suppressed of the women’s movement members as captives in order to aggravate the pressure imposed against the movement , but it has to be reminded that during the recent years of its activities , women’s movement has shown that it shall always follow legal and peaceful frameworks and it is expected from the authorities to recognize their limits otherwise women’s movement undoubtedly shall not remain silent against such quick and illegal actions by the authorities of the country and shall mobilize all means to object to these processes which breach and compromise human rights .

Eventually , we , different groups of women’s movement , convict the execution of unjust and unfair rule against Aliyeh Eghdam Doost and deman all relevant authorities m especially the Head of Judiciary to quickly free Aliyeh Eghdam Doost in order for her to return to her normal life .

The statement has been issued by the following groups :

Association of Iranian Women

Feminist School

Women’s Field

Women’s Committee of Tahkim Vahdad ( Solidarity ) Organization

Repertoire Committee of Human Rights

Human Rights Committee of Iranian Scholars Organization

Women’s Commission of Tahkim Vahdat ( Solidarity ) Office
Iranian Researchers’ Association

Pars Women’s Association

Rah Avard Association

Farasoo Association ( Tabriz )

Campaign of Italy

Fasl-e Sabz ( Green Season ) Site

Avaye Zan Journal

Independent Society of Iranian Women in Austria

Hastia Andish Association

One Million Signature Campaign in Dusseldorf , Germany

The efforts to collect the signature of active civil groups , women’s movement and human rights groups continues . Please note the name of your group to join this statement and support Aliyeh Eghdam Doost and send it to the following email address:

[email protected]

Source in Persian

About Alieh Eghdamdoost

Alieh Eghdamdoost, a woman’s rights defender, was arrested during the protest objecting to discriminatory laws against women in Hafte Tir Square in June 12 2006, and spent a week in prison. She was sentenced by the 15th security branch of the Revolutionary Courts to three years and four months mandatory prison sentence and 20 lashes. The appeals courts upheld three years of the mandatory prison sentence, reducing her original sentence by four months and 20 lashes.

Alieh Eghdamdoost was transferred under guard supervision to the Office of Implementation of Sentences at the Revolutionary Courts in January 29.

According to Nasim Ghanavi one of the lawyers in this case, Eghdamdoost contacted her by telephone to inform her that agents had come to her home in one of cities of Northern Iran (Fouman) to transfer her to the Revolutionary Courts, office of Implementation of Sentences, so that she could begin serving her three year prison term. Ghanavi visited with her client Eghdamdoust in the Revolutionary Court in 1 February. Then She was transferred to Evin prison sentenced to three years of imprisonment

About Imprisoned Member of Women’s Movement: Aliyeh Eghdam Doust