Committee in Solidarity with Iranian Women Prisoners

It's a never ending story. The detention, kidnapping, arrests and assualt of the Iranian people since the June presidentional elections. Days have gone into weeks and months since the day, Mahmoud ahmadinejad backed by the supremes leader, Ali Khamenei and in total collaboration with layers of the security services, stole people's votes and delcared himself president of Iran for another 4 miserable years.

Days have not passed without people protesting all in peaceful manner to take their votes back. People, men, women, young and old are demanding their votes, their rights and freedom from dictatorship in this day and age. From the very first moments, the strategy of spreading horror, attacking indiscriminately, assault by tear gas, pepper gas, electric batons and even water hose has been in full swing. Ahmadinejad and his backer have crossed the line of shame and preserving prestige and honour. They are holding to power by the thread of intimidation and fear. This strategy is doomed to fail as people's demands are going further by day from 'Where is my vote?' to 'Down with the dictator' towards 'an Iranian Republic'  which is targeting the whole of the regime.

All this set aside, the brutality of the regime has gone far beyond normal suppresion exopected from them. Stories of torture, death in custody and brutal rape of some prisoners are gradually getting out. A few weeks ago, the supreme leader ordered the closure of one of the detention centres, Kahrizak' for being unfit! The reality of this centre will be discussed in a separate article. Mehdi Karubi the defeated presidential candidate has written a letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani, quoting from 'reliable sources' the 'brutal and shameful' rape of men and women in the 'Islamic' prisons. This has caused the regime to attack him and threaten him with arrest!

In solidarity with the women prisoners, a group of us Iranians outside Iran have set up a committee to report, support and coordinate the plight of women prisoners, some of which are being kept for more than a month in poor conditions without access to lawyers or their families. For further information please go to:

 Committee in Solidarity with the Iranina Women Prisoners.

http://hambastegizanan.blogspot.com

www.iranianwomenuk.blogspot.com

We need your support and your help get these women out. In the blog, a list of women in detention can be viewed. This list is incomplete and more maybe added to it. Inside the country, with the amount of pressure on activiats and lawyers, their is little that can be done apart from the gathering of families in front of prisons or the 'ministry of justice' to get access to their loved ones. A number of lawyers who were representing some of the detaintees are themselves in prison. Human rights lawyers like Shadi Sadr was assaulted and detained while going to the Friday prayers and released after a heavy bail. She and the others are under constant threat and unable to represent clients. End