CLICK HERE ON HOW TO READ ALL ON THIS PAGE

When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.
In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendagi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali
And also
Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jhina Mahsa Amini or Zhina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan, Zendagi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022
and the latest news about the 'Women Live Freedom' Revolution per month in 2023: September 30 - 16 -- September 17 - 1 -- August 31 - 18  -- August 15 - 1 -- August 15 - 1--July 31 - 16 -- July 15 -1--June 30 - 15--June 15-1--May 31 -16-- May 15-1--April--March--Feb--Jan   
So here is where the protests continue and I'll continue to inform you about it. That's my pledge.Gino d'Artali
Indept investigative journalist
Read also all about the uprising and revolution around the one-year anniversary of the death of Jina Amini in custody.

CLICK HERE ON HOW TO READ ALL ON THIS PAGE
When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.
Note by Gino d'Artali: The Zan, zendagi, azadi!> (Women, life, freedom)  will only then end when khamenei and his puppets i.e. the morality police, the basijis and the irgc give way or go away!!
And
For all topics below that may hopefully interest you click on the image:

 
A re-newed call to partipate at the upcoming commemoration of the killing of Jina Amini:
http://www.cryfreedom.net/2022-2023-commemoration-of-Jina-Amini.htm

...requirement for women and girls-both teachers and students-to wear the black head-to-toe Chador?
We say NO: Give In or Give Way!

Updates September 15 - 12, 2023
France 24 | The Observers - September 15, 2023 - By Eliani Ershab
<<Proposed hijab penalties in Iran: 'They can't prosecute millions of women'
One year ago this Saturday, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by Iran's morality police for wearing her hijab <improperly>. Her death led to massive anti-regime protests, known by their now-iconic slogan: <Woman, Life, Freedom>. The Observers team has been in regular contact with dozens of women across Iran over the past 12 months. Many of them have told us that it has become the <new normal> for millions of women in Iran to go out in public with their hair uncovered. But with a new law under discussion that would massively increase the penalties for hijab-related offenses, how long will these new freedoms last? While a year ago it was unusual to see women without hijab in public spaces in Iran, thousands of amateur images posted online - and the accounts of women inside the country – show that millions of Iranian women now routinely go out in public without the Islamic head covering. A new law is under discussion in the Iranian parliament that would increase the penalties for the improper wearing of hijab from the equivalent of 1 euro to 3,000 euros, and the maximum prison sentence from two months to 10 years. The proposed law has special measures for so-called <celebrities>, including the confiscation of 10 percent of their assets. 'I no longer wear hijab in public spaces'
Sita (not her real name) is a young Iranian university student who lives in Tehran. Although she grew up in a religious family, she has decided to stop wearing a hijab. <After the protests started, this question in my head became louder and louder: Why do I have to seek permission from the state - from an ideology that I don't even believe in - to live the way I want to live? I have found new courage to stand up for my choices, despite the risks.
In the last year, many things have changed for me. The first change was in my family. I feel that they are much more open-minded and look at women differently than they used to. Since the death of Mahsa Amini, I no longer wear hijab in public spaces. Society has generally been supportive. Before the protests, if you went out in public without hijab, people would stare at you, even other women. Now, the most common reaction is a simple smile. Sometimes people say encouraging words when they pass by. History has taught us that any change in society is difficult, and entrenched ideologies are difficult to crack. Despite all this, I see many changes in society. I have the feeling that many people who are religious and observant have asked themselves this question: <If I have the freedom to lead the lifestyle I choose, then girls and women on the street who do not wear hijab should have the same right to dress the way they want. We've seen that Iranians are willing to pay the price for supporting women. The cafe owner accepts that his café might be closed down for a few days, but he does not ask the women in his café to wear the hijab. When men fight like this for women's rights, it shows that a revolution has happened in a macho society.>
'They can’t prosecute the millions of women in the streets'
The <celebrities> targeted by the draft law could include social media influencers. One of the favourite targets for arrests by Iranian security forces in the weeks before the anniversary has been female influencers who post images of themselves without hijab to their tens of thousands of followers. In recent months, several Iranian influencers have been arrested, among them a female motorcyclist, a young lifestyle and fashion influencer, a travel blogger and Sar, a teenager whose video of her with her friends in a shopping mall went viral.
Varia (not her real name) is a lifestyle influencer who lives in Shiraz. She talks about the pressure influencers face.
<It's scary. Every day I hear that a friend or colleague has been arrested, their bank account frozen or their car impounded. But I am glad that there are so many women who resist despite the threats and pressure by the regime. Even if they silence women who are so-called <celebrities>, they cannot prosecute the millions of women in the streets. The most impressive change I have observed since a year ago is that verbal harassment of women on the street - which used to be not uncommon - has decreased. I have not had a bad experience in a year, even though I'm downtown working every day. The private sector does not dare to require its female employees to wear hijab. As far as I can tell, people have made their peace with women's personal choice. And what is even nicer is that these changes can be observed not only in the rich neighbourhoods of Tehran, but also in the poor neighbourhoods in the south of Tehran and in other cities. These changes are permanent, I think, they are the result of 40 years of resistance.>
Iranian authorities have also targeted Iran's fast-growing start-up industry, accusing it of propagating Western values by allowing women to go to work without a hijab. In recent months, several start-ups were targeted by security forces. Some of them had to stop working for weeks, others had their headquarters attacked or their executives arrested.
Shamila (not her real name) is a senior executive at a start-up in Tehran. She talks about her experience over the past year.
<Most people who work in startups support the <Women, Life, Freedom> protests. Most women at start-ups like ours refuse to wear hijab. However, it is easier to bully start-ups than millions of women on the streets, one by one. The authorities send threatening letters and sometimes order start-ups to close their office for a few days. The companies that own the start-ups just want to avoid headaches and keep the money flowing. I think this will force more Iranians than ever - especially talented women working in these startups - to migrate abroad.>
The women we have been speaking to believe - or hope - that the protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death have changed Iranian society forever. But they say there is more to be done to remove the theocratic regime that governs their lives, and they will keep fighting.
Varia, the influencer, says:
<For months I was preoccupied with the price we pay for these changes: People, teenagers and even children who have lost their lives. I wish all that spilt blood had made a bigger difference. But I think all that pain has led our society to where we are now. This bloodshed has made the equation clear to everyone in Iran, I think: either we put an end to them or they put an end to us, there is no middle ground.>
Sita is also optimistic about the future:
<The war is not over yet, but so far we have won some battles. You can see by their actions that the regime is desperate; they are arresting singers, journalists, university professors. But I'm optimistic about the future of our country. I'm really focused on the present. What can I do? How can I help the protests to succeed?> >>
Source:
https://observers.france24.com/en/middle-east/20230915-proposed-hijab-penalties-in-iran-they-can-t-prosecute-millions-of-women

Iranwire - September 13, 2023
<<Global Trade Union Condemns Escalating <Repression> in Iran
A global trade union representing over 200 million workers has condemned the <intensification of repressive measures> targeting teachers, journalists, trade union activists, student activists and women's rights defenders in Iran. <We denounce this repression and urgently call for its cessation, thereby enabling trade unionists to defend and uphold workers' rights in Iran, a cornerstone of any democratic society,> the Council of Global Unions (CGU) said in a statement on September 12 amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent ahead of the first anniversary of nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. The Coordinating Council of the Iranian Teacher Trade Associations, the Union of Workers of Tehran and Suburban Bus Company and the Association of Iranian Journalists face <relentless harassment, arrests, prolonged detentions, and torture in prison,> it said. The organization also expressed concern about the <increasing influence> of the morality police and their enforcement of the Islamic Republic's mandatory hijab law to <harass women and prevent their access to education.> The CGU called on the Iranian authorities to <respect international labour standards, in particular freedom of association, and ensure that principles of human rights, justice, dignity and fairness prevail.> It also expresses solidarity to women's rights defenders in Iran <in their struggle for a democratic and secular society.> >>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/120437-global-trade-union-condemns-escalating-repression-in-iran/

France24 - September 12, 2023 - By Leila Jacinto
<<MAHSA AMINI, A YEAR ON
Iran's regime has crushed anti-veil protests, but it has ‘lost the battle’ for credibility
One year after Mahsa Amini died in police custody, sparking nationwide protests, the Iranian regime has quashed all displays of public discontent. But the 2022 protest movement was not a lost cause and its impact on Iranian history cannot be undermined. The crackdown was increasing, the screws of repression getting tighter, in the weeks leading up to the first death anniversary of Mahsa Amini, also known as Jina Amini. The 22-year-old's death in police custody on September 16, 2022, sparked protests across Iran for months until the authorities responded with brutal tactics, forcing protesters indoors or into exile. But with the anniversary of Amini's death approaching, the regime was taking no chances. Weeks ahead of the one-year milestone, the families of protesters killed by security forces were barred from holding commemorative gatherings at their graves, in what Amnesty International called the <cruellest restrictions>. Several women’s rights activists were also detained and accused of planning events to mark the death anniversary, according to Human Rights Watch. A year ago, Amini was arrested by Iran's Gasht-e-Ershad - or guidance patrols, better known as the <morality police> – for <improperly> wearing the mandatory hijab. As enraged female protesters took to the streets, many defying the hijab rules - some burning their headscarves and cutting locks of hair - there were reports suggesting the Gasht-e-Ershad had been suspended. But since mid-July, the morality police squads have been back on Iran's streets, aided by other security forces. In early August, President Ebrahim Raisi took to the airwaves to tell the Iranian people they should not <worry> because, he promised, <the removal of the hijab will definitely come to an end>. A new <Hijab and Chastity> bill is now working its way into law, with a package of repressive measures, including exorbitant fines for hijab offenders and increased police surveillance. Iranians have a lot to worry about, including the rising cost of living, hyperinflation, corruption, economic collapse, and isolation under international sanctions while the regime plays hardball in nuclear negotiations. The prospect of women revealing their hair in public does not top the list of concerns for most Iranians. But for their unpopular president, it's a major worry. The veil in Iran symbolises much more than just a hair-covering garment. The death in custody of one young woman, hailing from the marginalised Kurdish-Sunni periphery of the official Shiite state, exposed the weakness of the Islamic Republic four decades after the 1979 revolution. A year after Amini's demise, that chapter in Iran’s post-revolutionary history is still being written and it could have dramatic consequences for the country – as well as the international community.
'A very fragile moment for Iran'
Since the protests erupted last year, Iranian authorities have used a combination of old and new measures to suppress public anti-regime displays.
Security forces killed at least 537 protesters, the majority in the first months of the protests, according to an April 4 report by Oslo-based NGO, Iran Human Rights. At least seven men have been executed in connection to the protests following <hasty proceedings>, noted a UN-appointed Independent International Fact-Finding Mission. The appointment of the fact-finding mission on November 24 was hailed as a <landmark> by rights groups and came after intense negotiations at the Geneva-based Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In its first oral report presented in July, the fact-finding mission noted that Iranian authorities had not yet responded to repeated requests for a visit. <Even today, ten months after the events, no official data is publicly available regarding those arrested, detained, charged or convicted in connection with the protests,> the team noted. In other words, it was business as usual for the Iranian regime after yet another crackdown on yet another round of protests that have been erupting with increased frequency over the past decade.
But this time, some unfamiliar suppression tactics were also applied, and they were disquieting.
As the number of defiantly unveiled women in public soared, the Islamic regime targeted prominent female influencers, including actresses, with dubious psychiatric diagnoses. As judges sentenced women to treatment for <anti-family personality disorder>, Iranian mental health organisations warned that the authorities were <exploiting psychiatry>. A year after Amini's death in custody, the figures may be disputed, but the facts are clear. <The government has very effectively crushed the protests that erupted last year. But anger at the regime is even worse,> said Barbara Slavin, distinguished fellow at the Washington DC-based Stimson Center. <The regime has been very effective in terms of repression, but it's been a total failure at improving the lives of ordinary Iranians.> The explosive mix of public rage and regime suppression makes it hard to say who really won the day, much less the year. <It's a mixed picture: on the one hand, society is miserable, angry, restive. On the other hand, Iranians have shown that the regime no longer calls the shots,> said Slavin. <It's a very fragile moment for Iran.>
'Women, Life, Freedom'
The fragility was exposed last year by women, the officially fragile 51 percent of Iran's 87 million population. Adopting the rallying cry, <Zan, Zendegi, Azadi> - Women, Life, Freedom - Iran's women led the latest charge against the regime with a mix of courage, creativity and doggedness that electrified the world. Since the 1979 revolution, women have been used as a political symbol by the Islamic Republic, with the veil promoted as the most manifest proclamation of its values. More than 40 years later, that political symbolism provided the seed for its own unraveling.
<Heavily discriminating against women in all aspects of life, the Islamic Republic's policies on compulsory veil emerges throughout the years as the symbol of its control over women’s bodies and life. Regardless, Iranian women have remained courageously outspoken for their rights, while having paid and continuing to pay a high price for their dissent,> said Azadeh Pourzand, senior fellow at the Center for Middle East and Global Order. While the government is pushing for the adoption of the <Hijab and Chastity> law, Slavin doubts it will end the regime's worries. <Overall, the government has lost the battle for the obligatory hijab - they can't arrest all the women going around without hijab,> she explained. <They've lost the battle, they simply refuse to admit it.> Despite the tightened restrictions, many Iranian women are putting up a fight, with some displaying exceptional bravery. Weeks before Amini's death anniversary, firebrand Iranian labour activist Sepideh Qoliyan got a warning by a criminal court judge that she could face additional charges if she continued to appear in court without a veil. It came a month after an earlier court hearing was cancelled because Qoliyan refused to wear the mandatory hijab. The 28-year-old activist remains in prison while she fights two separate charges, including insulting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Meanwhile Nazila Maroufian, the Iranian-Kurdish journalist who interviewed Amini's father last year, walked out of Tehran's notorious Evin prison on August 13 and posted a photograph on social media of herself without a headscarf and the slogan, <Don't accept slavery, you deserve the best.>
She was promptly detained again, released on bail and then re-arrested. On September 4, an Iranian judge sentenced Maroufian to a year in prison, ensuring the now-prominent journalist would be locked behind bars on Amini's first death anniversary. Iranian women and girls taking to the streets were immediately joined by male protesters who grasped the symbolism of the veil in their demand for total change. The unofficial anthem of the Women, Life, Freedom movement was written by a young man and recorded in his bedroom in the Iranian coastal city of Babolsar. Shervin Hajipour wove tweets of protest-supporters into the lyrics of his song, Baraye, or <For> in English. He was arrested and released on bail when he won a special Grammy award in February for his powerful, haunting single. The song title comes from #Baraye, a hashtag Iranians used to explain why they were protesting. One of the tweets in the song simply states, <For yearning for an ordinary life> - a central demand of the primarily young protesters. The Gen Z component of the protests was particularly noteworthy, distinguishing it from previous Iranian protest movements, explained Iran-born and UK-based Pourzand. At 38, Pourzand belongs to the <Green movement> generation of protesters who took to the streets to challenge the results of the 2009 presidential elections, which denied a victory to the reformist candidate. <My generation thought patience is a value, that incremental change is a value worth holding on to,> she explained. <We thought we had to pick between the bad and worse. 'Better to work for the bad - what if, what comes next is the worse,' describes the reform movement.> Iran's Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2010 - or 1375-1389 in the Iranian calendar and dubbed Dahe Hashtadi (<the Eighties>) in Persian - displayed the impertinence and impatience of youth. This included a total rejection of the post-1979 edifice, complete with ripping and burning posters of Supreme Leader Khamenei. The leaderless, social media-driven nature of the movement raised immediate doubts over whether the young protesters had the mobilisation capacity to topple the regime. But in their failure to bring immediate change, Generation Dahe Hashtadi did not fare any worse than their parents, analysts concede a year later. What's more, in a country with a long protest culture, they fundamentally altered the discourse by calling for a dismantling of the republic itself. <They got together, they figured a message quickly and effectively, and the whole world heard it,> said Pourzand. <'Women, Life, Freedom' divided Iran's history into a ‘before’ and 'after'. I don't think the regime can take it back to before this movement.> Referring to the Iranian saying, <the fire under the ashes>, Slavin says the smoldering anger cannot be extinguished by a deeply discredited regime using the old repression techniques. <Iranians understand this is a long struggle, they are very determined,> she explained. A year after Amini's death, the state of the republic appears to be as frail as that of the 84-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. <People have been calling 'Death to the dictator' for the past four to five years. They hate him,> said Slavin. Khamenei's most likely successor list includes President Raisi and the octogenarian supreme leader's son, Mojtaba Khamenei. Both men lack popular support, according to analysts. <Khamenei has been trying to arrange for his son to succeed him. The hypocrisy of the regime is beyond all calculations,> said Slavin. <Someday it will fall and people will celebrate - just when and how it happens, people can’t predict.>>
Source:
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20230912-iran-s-regime-has-crushed-protests-but-lost-the-battle-for-obligatory-hijab

Iranwire - September 7, 2023
<<Iranian Engineer Who Protested Forced Hijab Sentenced to 74 Lashes
An Iranian woman who made headlines in February after protesting the mandatory hijab during a meeting of engineers in Tehran has been sentenced to 74 lashes for <offending public decency.> The sentence, which was handed down on September 7, is suspended for five years, meaning that the punishment will be carried out if Zeinab Kazemi commits another <criminal offense> during that period. <I have never regretted raising my voice for justice and against oppression, and I still don't,> the defiant engineer wrote on Instagram after the sentencing. In a video published on social media on February 17, Kazemi protested against her disqualification from a vote at the Tehran Engineers Assembly due to noncompliance with the Islamic Republic's compulsory hijab rules. <I do not recognize the assembly that does not allow candidates to run for not wearing a headscarf,> she said before throwing her hijab on the stage and leaving. She also referred to the violence and abuse that Iranian women who refuse to wear a head covering are facing in Iran. Kazemi's action was met with applause by the audience and widespread approval on social media, with many praising her courage amid a wave of protests sparked by the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in custody after being detained by police for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly. All women in Iran must conceal their hair with a hijab while in public and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats. A growing number of Iranian women who refuse to wear a head covering have been arrested and prosecuted, while dozens of businesses have been closed for failing to enforce compulsory hijab rules for women visitors.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/120227-iranian-engineer-who-protested-forced-hijab-sentenced-to-74-lashes/


Women protesting military attacks
JINHA - Womens News Agency - September 6, 2023 - by Siruşa Amin
<<Iranian government uses paramilitary groups against protesters
News Center- Recently, Salafist/ Wahhabi groups have attacked the people in many cities of Rojhelat (Eastern Kurdistan) with the support of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and security forces. Several days ago, these groups attacked young people in the city of Marivan. According to eyewitnesses, the identities of attackers were known, the government did not take any action against them but arrested the people protesting the attack.
They threaten people
Despite the ongoing protests and criticism by people and activists, these groups are supported by Iran's security forces. According to local sources, the Iranian government employs these groups and gives them weapons to suppress the protests, to threaten and intimidate citizens in the cities of Eastern Kurdistan. The local sources say that these groups previously received military training from the IRGC and carried out many attacks against civilians. The local people think the main aim of these groups is to suppress the <Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (English: Women, Life, Freedom> uprising and the reason why the Iranian regime uses them is the influence of Salafism in Eastern Kurdistan.
The lives of women and girls are at risk
There is a serious increase in the rate of violence against women and girls in Iran and Rojhelat. Recently, these groups have attacked women and girls with acid. The recent acid attacks on women and girls recall the series of acid attacks on women and girls in Isfahan in October 1993. Some men threw acid on the faces of women and girls for not wearing their hijabs properly. The acid attacks became a nightmare for many girls in Isfahan and other cities. Despite the protests and demands for identification of the attackers, the case was closed in 2017. Today, women and girls face the same attacks and their lives are at risk. The Iranian regime keeps creating terror in society. Despite everything, the people are determined to demand their freedom.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/iranian-government-uses-paramilitary-groups-against-protesters-33806

Note by Gino d'Artali: read below the supporting and brave words of our Afghanistan sister Sadaf Omari:
Jinha - Womens News Agency - September 5, 2023 - by BAHARİN LEHİB
<<'Women will not bow to the Taliban'
Parwan- Millions of Afghan women and girls have been deprived of their right to education since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. When the Taliban took control of the country, Sadaf Omari was a tenth grader.
'My goal was to study archeology'
Living in Parwan, Sadaf Omari’s goal was to study archeology after graduating from high school. <However, the Taliban banned all girls and women from attending school. Now, parents marry off their daughters to protect them from the Taliban,> she told NuJINHA.
'My biggest fear is to be married off'
<My parents want me to study,> she said, <However; they can marry me off due to the current situation. I help my younger brother with his homework. I teach girls English at home. Women and girls face more pressure by the Taliban every day. I have been subjected to insults by the Taliban members for not covering my hair.>
'We will not bow to the Taliban'
Sadaf Omari added, <Whenever the members of the Taliban threaten women, I feel happier because I see how they are afraid of women. I have decided not to wear a hijab despite everything. As women, we will not bow to the rules of the Taliban.>
Source incl. video:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/women-will-not-bow-to-the-taliban-33801

Iranwire - September 5, 2023
<<Lawyer Meets Iranian Singer Jailed for Supporting Women's Rights
The defense lawyer representing Iranian singer Mehdi Yarrahi says he has been able to meet his client in Tehran's Evin prison on September 5, eight days after his arrest for his latest song encouraging women to remove their mandatory headscarves. Yarrahi appeared to be in good spirits, but he is receiving medical attention at the prison's hospital for inflamed skin and pain in his right ear, lawyer Mustafa Nili said in a series of tweets. <I haven't been able to read his case yet, and that's why I can't say what the exact charges are. I hope to be able to read the case on Saturday,> Nili added. During the meeting, the singer conveyed his determination to take legal action against officers who failed to uphold the law and respect his civil rights during his arrest. Yarrahi was arrested on August 28 following the release of the song Roosarito, or Your Headscarf in English, which was accompanied by a video showing women in various social settings without their mandatory headscarves, some dancing to the music. Yarrahi dedicated the song to the <brave women of Iran who shine courageously at the forefront of the 'Women Life Freedom’ movement,'> a reference to the monthslong nationwide protests sparked by the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was in police custody for an alleged hijab violation. As a protest against Yarrahi's arrest, Iranian social media users posted and shared videos of their own dance performances and renditions of his songs.
Artists, political activists and journalists have also rallied behind the singer since his jailing.
The Iranian authorities, fearing a flare up in protests ahead of the first anniversary of Amini's death on September 16, have ramped up their crackdown against dissent in recent weeks. A growing number of women refusing to wear a head covering have been arrested and prosecuted, while dozens of businesses have been closed for failing to enforce compulsory hijab rules for women visitors. On September 4, local media reported that the Mojhaye Khorushan water park in Mashhad has been shut down for allowing women entry without a headscarf. Mohammad Babaei, the complex manager, was quoted as saying that the authorities had declared the park's closure due to people's <ignoring chastity and hjiab> rules.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/society/120151-lawyer-meets-iranian-singer-jailed-for-supporting-womens-rights/


NCRI - Womens committee - in women's news - September 1, 2023
<<Hijab law slammed as <gender apartheid> by UN experts
Hijab law could amount to <gender apartheid,> UN experts say
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement today, on September 1, 2023, in which a group of UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts slammed Iran’s draft Hijab law. The experts said the bill could amount to <Gender Apartheid.> They expressed concern that the new Hijab law in Iran sanctions new punishments for women and girls who fail to wear the headscarf, or hijab, in public. <The draft law could be described as a form of gender apartheid, as authorities appear to be governing through systemic discrimination with the intention of suppressing women and girls into total submission,> the UN human rights experts said. They reiterated that the proposed parliamentary Bill to Support the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab and existing restrictions are inherently discriminatory and may amount to gender persecution. <The draft law imposes severe punishments on women and girls for non-compliance which may lead to its violent enforcement,> the experts warned and added that the new hijab law would <disproportionately affect economically marginalized women.> The experts urged the Iranian authorities to <reconsider the compulsory hijab legislation in compliance with international human rights law, and to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for all women and girls in Iran.> The experts who wrote the statement are Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; and Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Elizabeth Broderick, Ivana Radačić, Meskerem Geset Techane and Melissa Upreti, Working group on discrimination against women and girls.
The full text of the statement follows:
Iran's proposed hijab law could amount to <gender apartheid>: UN experts
GENEVA (1 September 2023) - UN experts today expressed grave concern over a new draft law, currently under review in the Iranian parliament, which imposes a series of new punishments on women and girls who fail to wear the headscarf (hijab). <The draft law could be described as a form of gender apartheid, as authorities appear to be governing through systemic discrimination with the intention of suppressing women and girls into total submission,> the experts said. They stressed that the proposed <Bill to Support the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab> and existing de facto-restrictions are inherently discriminatory and may amount to gender persecution. <The draft law imposes severe punishments on women and girls for non-compliance which may lead to its violent enforcement,> the experts said. <The bill also violates fundamental rights, including the right to take part in cultural life, the prohibition of gender discrimination, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to peaceful protest, and the right to access social, educational, and health services, and freedom of movement.> The use of culture by the Iranian government as a tool to restrict the rights of women and girls is misplaced, the experts warned. <Culture is formed and evolves with the participation of all,> they said. By using terms such as <nudity, lack of chastity, lack of hijab, bad dressing and acts against public decency leading to disturbance of peace>, the draft law seeks to authorise public institutions to deny essential services and opportunities to persons who fail to comply with compulsory veiling. Directors and managers of organisations who fail to implement the law could also be punished.
The New Hijab Bill: Parliamentary Legal Commission Concludes Deliberations
<The weaponisation of <public morals> to deny women and girls their freedom of expression is deeply disempowering and will entrench and expand gender discrimination and marginalisation, with wider negative consequences for children and society as a whole,> the experts said. The morality police have also been reportedly redeployed in some areas since early July 2023, potentially to enforce compulsory veiling requirements. <After months of nationwide protests over the death of Jina Mahsa Amini and against restrictive veiling laws, the authorities have introduced a tiered system of punishments targeting women and girls,> the experts said. <The punishments include deprivation of a range of basic freedoms and social and economic rights, which will disproportionately affect economically marginalised women,> they said. The Chastity and Hijab bill was submitted to parliament by the Government and the judiciary on 21 May 2023. Since then, it was amended several times, with the latest draft significantly increasing the number of punishments for non-compliance. On 13 August 2023, parliament voted in favour of invoking Article 85 of the Constitution which allows a parliamentary committee to review legislation without public debate. <We urge authorities to reconsider the compulsory hijab legislation in compliance with international human rights law, and to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for all women and girls in Iran,> the experts said.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/09/01/hijab-law-gender-apartheid/

Iranwire - August 30,2023 - by SAMANEH GHADARKHAN
<<Female Students Told to Wear Hijab and Keep Quiet – Or Get Expelled
The new school year has yet to begin in Iran, but it appears that certain school principals have issued warnings to families and students, cautioning them against engaging in any form of protest. The warnings have been accompanied by threats of potential expulsions. One expressed has voiced concerns about the heightened possibility of widespread chemical attacks targeting schools in the upcoming year. A mother of a student from southern Shiraz told IranWire that the school's principal, during a preparatory session prior to the school's reopening, admonished the students to adhere to the hijab dress code and that any students participating in protests would be expelled. Students themselves meanwhile are embarking on the new school year burdened by distressing and unsettling recollections of the threats, suppressions, arrests, chemical attacks, and instances of explicit material being shown in some girls' schools, during the previous year. With the imminent reopening of schools coinciding with the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the acceleration of Woman, Life, Freedom movement, and the potential for exerting pressure on students, there has been a notable absence of any government institution or official addressing the issue of ensuring school security this year. A teacher from a girls' school in Shiraz, also the mother of two daughters aged 17 and 9, shared with IranWire her concerns about the impending reopening of schools. For security reasons, the teacher referred to as Shahrzad in this report has chosen to remain anonymous. Shahrzad's elder daughter is set to graduate this year, while her younger child will be starting the third grade in elementary school. The teacher explains that due to protests that occurred at her elder daughter's school last year, she has now been enrolled at a different school. During the previous school year, just before nationwide protests, Shahrzad's older daughter's school in Shiraz became one of the first where protests took place. The school principal had called security forces, and footage from the school's surveillance cameras along with students' academic records were handed over to these forces. As a result, eight students were suspended for three days, and the intelligence department also contacted other students. Shahrzad noted that after the incident, multiple protest gatherings occurred at the school, prompting the implementation of stringent rules by the principal. <They staggered the students' break times to prevent them from congregating in the courtyard simultaneously,> she says. <The children were not allowed to assemble. The rules extended to enforcing dress codes, hairstyles, and even the length of the children's nails. Girls who wore scarves around their necks were threatened with expulsion.> Regarding the high school her daughter attended last year, Shahrzad remarks that the issue of hijab held significant importance. The school's principal, who supports the government, put considerable stress on the students. <I warned her multiple times about the potential negative consequences of such actions, but my warnings had no impact,> Shahrzad says. <Despite resistance from the school administration, I chose to have my daughter study at a school removed from these issues. In her new school, there is currently no indication of strict hijab enforcement. Students are even allowed to sit without wearing coats in class,> she adds. Shahrzad emphasizes that the implications of the proposed new hijab regulations will become apparent in the upcoming year.
'Do You Offer Any Assurance of Student Safety?'
Shahrzad's younger daughter is enrolled in elementary school. She recounts that during the previous week, the school's principal conducted a meeting with parents to discuss security measures being implemented in response to external events. The principal assured parents that there was no cause for concern and that the school had taken necessary steps to ensure the safety of their children. During this meeting, the school's principal emphasized the mandatory nature of certain policies for the upcoming academic year, including the students' adherence to hijab standards. The directives were in accordance with the education guidelines, the principal said, and parents who held differing views were free to transfer their children to other schools. <Parents are grappling with major concerns, entering the new year with apprehension about potential new developments. We live in a country where we must remain vigilant for unexpected occurrences each day, unsure of what new challenges lie ahead. The atmosphere is relatively calm for now, but we will see what happens,> Shahrzad remarks. Another mother, Farzaneh, whose 12-year-old daughter experienced the distress of threats from school staff last year concerning protests and even chemical attacks, also says that her daughter's school principal warned of potential students dismissals in cases of student gatherings, chanting, or failing to wear scarves on school premises.
'Anticipate More Severe School Attacks This Year'
A series of incidents involving deliberate poisoning, commonly referred to as chemical attacks on schools, took place in hundreds of girls' schools across Iran during the previous school year. These events involved a significant number of students from Iranian educational institutions falling victim to mysterious poisonings. The first of these attacks was recorded on November 30 in a girls' high school in central Qom. The impact of these attacks was not confined solely to Qom; rather, they extended to various cities across Iran. The majority of affected students were girls, although a few cases of poisonings were also reported in boys' schools. The occurrences of chemical attacks on schools and the suppression of students during the previous academic year have sparked concerns regarding the entity or organization responsible for safeguarding the lives and wellbeing of children and adolescents. Journalist and former vice president of public relations for education, Nejat Bahrami, raises alarm about the vulnerable state of schools in the upcoming academic year. According to him, the structure for maintaining school security assigns general responsibilities to various entities, including the police force and municipal authorities. <At present, the security arrangement for schools primarily relies on the presence of custodians,> he says, which <which inadequate considering the existing threats.> School custodians typically oversee only maintenance, cleanliness and upkeep. <In times of crisis, it might become necessary to temporarily seek police protection by pressuring or influencing parents of students in public schools, particularly in situations like chemical attacks on schools,> Bahrami further explains. He adds that during the previous year, in response to the surge in chemical attacks on schools, some nonprofit institutions enlisted the police for added security. In instances of crises, attacks, or conflicts in the school, custodians should liaise with law enforcement and security agencies, he said.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/119959-female-students-told-to-wear-hijab-and-keep-quiet-or-get-expelled/
Read also all about the biological terrorattacks against schoolgirls by clicking here

Iranwire - August 29, 2023 - by ROGHAYEH REZAEI
<<Yasaman Rezaei Babadi: Threatened with Rape if She Didn't Confess
Yasaman Rezaei Babadi is a young woman who has been arrested multiple times for her participation in nationwide protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini in September last year. During her detentions, she endured torture, physical assaults and threats of being killed. On one occasion, she was threated of being raped by plainclothes personnel. These events unfolded while she was being interrogated at the Karaj Intelligence Detention Center and the Moral Security Detention Center in the city.
Arrested on the Street, Coerced Confession, False Promises of Release
Rezaei, 27, a psychology graduate from Karaj University, was beaten with batons and apprehended by plainclothes men in November 2022 while she was protesting in the streets of Karaj, near Tehran. With her consciousness hanging by a thread, the young woman was thrown into a van, where she was questioned about her attire and home address. One officer accused her of being a protest leader, triggering another bout of beatings.
They slammed her head against the van's wall in an attempt to force her to confess.
A person with knowledge of Rezaei's ordeal told IranWire that she was taken to the Moral Security Detention Center, where she faced intense interrogation. The interrogators promised she would be freed immediately if she admitted guilt, and threatened her of sexual abuse if she refused.
The source said that Rezaei signed all the documents that were presented to her. After that she was transferred to Karaj Detention Center and spent the night there. The next morning prosecutors ordered her transfer to Kachooei prison in Karaj, where she remained for a week. In mid-November, Rezaei was released after posting a 1-billion-toman ($20,000) bail, a sum her family struggled to gather.  Rezaei was eventually exonerated of the charges against her under an <amnesty> offered by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to documents obtained by IranWire, Rezaei faced charges of <propaganda activity> against the Islamic Republic and <illegal assembly, causing public disturbance and disorder" by <burning a headscarf.>
Second Arrest; Rape and Murder Threats
Rezaei's second arrest was linked to her participation in a street protest against the execution of two protesters: Mohammad Mehdi Karmi and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini. The men were hanged on January 7 after being found guilty of killing a member of the paramilitary Basij force during anti-establishment demonstrations. A source told IranWire that Rezaei was arrested by security forces in Karaj’s Gohardasht neighborhood at around 6 p.m. on January 7. <Seven to eight individuals surrounded her and subjected her to physical assault. They accused her of suffering a mental ailment, menacingly declared that she was worthless, and said that six of them would rape her.> According to another source, the young woman was taken to the Karaj Moral Security Detention Center, where many other protesters were being held.
<They touched her body, including her breasts and genitals,> the source said.
A prosecutor ordered her to spend three months at the Imam Hossein Psychiatric Hospital. <They perpetuated the narrative that Yasaman was mentally unstable until the presiding judge mandated a psychiatric evaluation. She underwent examinations twice, and the psychiatrist attested she was mentally healthy,> the source said. In May, she was summoned to a branch of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj to face the charge of spreading <propaganda through slogan writing,>  according to documents obtained by IranWire. <They administered her pills every day, leaving her in a state of discomfort. Despite this, they relentlessly interrogated her. They wanted to know who was giving her orders, questioned her about her chants, the burning of her headscarf. No detail was too trivial,> the source said. <Fortunately, her family managed to secure her release from the hospital after a month and a half.>
Third Arrest, Threats to Be Killed
The source told IranWire that Rezaei was arrested for a third time in late July, right in front of the building of Karaj Moral Security Police where she planned to protest against the torments she endured in the detention facility. Once again, she was subjected to severe beatings, including kicks and punches. The source said that an individual named Torkashvand, the purported commander of the Moral Security Center, threatened her with a firearm. IranWire could independently verify the accuracy of the name and position of this man. According to the source, a security agent brandished a knife and warned Rezaei that she would be dismembered. <Torkashvand declared that they had a warrant for shooting her. They subjected her to relentless beatings during five to six hours within the confines of the Moral Security Police headquarters. A gun was ominously held over her head, while they accused her of receiving funds from [US-based activist] Masih Alinejad.> The source said that Rezaei was coerced into writing whatever they dictated to her, promising her freedom. Rezaei was then transferred back to the Karaj Intelligence Detention Center, where she stayed for approximately a week, after which she once again underwent a mental health evaluation. Finally, in early August, the young woman was provisionally released, pending the issuance of a verdict. <The prosecutor handling her case is compassionate, and this time she was granted release on bail,> the source said. <Just a few days ago, she returned to the prosecutor to give her final statement. She was compelled to pledge not to participate in any events marking the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death.> Ahead of the anniversary, the pressure on protest detainees, their families and civil activists has significantly intensified.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/119925-yasaman-rezaei-babadi-threatened-with-rape-if-she-didnt-confess/

Iranwire - August 24 2023 - by ROGHAYEH REZAEI
<<Where is Parmida, Who Said <I'm a Woman, Don't Intimidate Me with Anything>?
Amid a social media campaign aimed at uncovering the whereabouts of Parmida Shahbazi, a woman who boldly told an official's hijab warning <I'm a woman, don't intimidate me with anything,> information obtained by IranWire indicates she has been granted release on bail. Sources said that the prevailing public apprehension about the lack of information concerning Parmida's fate stems from the coercive tactics used by security agents against the young woman and her family which have compelled them into silence.
Who is Parmida Shahbazi; Where Is She?
There has been limited information about Parmida Shahbazi. A video shows her wearing a white shirt and without a headscarf being confronted by an individual claiming to be a <judicial officer> in the city of Karaj, near Tehran. The man seeks to intimidate the young woman by alleging that she had insulted him. The individual called her a <criminal,> citing Article 638 of the Islamic Penal Code, saying she committed <blasphemy> during a religious procession. <Don't attempt to intimidate me. I'm a woman, resolute in my beliefs,> she replied. The Alborz Police Command's Information Center later confirmed the woman's arrest and warned that those responsible for sharing the video online will be handed over to judicial officials. On July 20, Fars news agency announced her arrest in a report featuring a video in which Shahbazi <confessed> and offered an <apology.> In the 36-second video, the woman's face is entirely obscured and she is referred to as <a woman who desecrated the sanctity of the procession of Imam Hossein in Karaj.> Neither the news agency nor Parmida Shahbazi's family explicitly divulged the name of the woman on the video, but social media users identified her as Parmida Shahbazi. A source confirmed to IranWire that it was Parmida Shahbazi but did not know the details surrounding her arrest, the charges she faces and her release on bail. <[The family] faced so many threats and so much coercion that they're hesitant to confide in those close to them. All we know is that she was released on bail,> the source said. Fatemeh Masjedi, a women's rights advocate and social historian, told IranWire that Shahbazi was arrested <her words emanate strength and fearlessness.> <This significance is encapsulated within the concise sentences she utters, which signify a departure from the era of subservience to male authority,> she said.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/119785-where-is-parmida-who-said-im-a-woman-dont-intimidate-me-with-anything/

NCRI - Womens committee - in women's news - August 20, 2023
<<The New Hijab Bill: Parliamentary Legal Commission Concludes Deliberations
The deliberations on Iran's new Hijab Bill have concluded within the Legal Commission of the clerical regime's parliament, as announced by Moussa Ghazanfar Abadi, the commission's chair. (The state-run Etemadonline.ir, August 20, 2023) This 70-article bill, titled <Supporting the Family through Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab,> is currently awaiting placement on the parliamentary agenda for open floor discussion, during which the parliament will decide the trial period for the bill's enforcement.
Lack of Transparency in the Examination Process
Remarkably, the Legal Commission concluded its deliberations on all 70 articles of the new hijab bill within a mere week, with the initial 39 articles being approved within the first two days. Speculation surrounds the actual content of the new Hijab bill and the extent to which proposed amendments have been adopted.
The New Hijab Bill: Parliamentary Legal Commission Concludes Deliberations
Among the suggested changes is an amendment to Article 1 that would prohibit men's entry into women's spaces, including clubs, stadiums, hairdressers, metro wagons, parks, and other forms of public transportation, and vice versa. This means that women would also be prohibited from entering sports stadiums where men are present, as dictated by the new Hijab bill. Another contentious proposal pertains to the requirement for women and girls-both teachers and students-to wear the black head-to-toe Chador in all universities and high schools. Female educators would also face restrictions, including a ban on artificial nails and eyelashes. Speculation further extends to potential measures such as the involvement of seminary students in educational institutions and the granting of permits to Basij members to carry deterrents like shockers and sprays for dealing with Hijab law violations. The exact details of the bill, as approved by the Legal Commission of the mullahs' parliament, remain undisclosed and await revelation.
The New Hijab Bill: Parliamentary Legal Commission Concludes Deliberations
Examining the New Hijab Bill Under Article 85
On Sunday, August 13, the clerical regime's parliament voted to assign the examination of the Hijab and Chastity bill to the Legal Commission, invoking Article 85 of the Constitution, instead of debating it directly on the open floor. This decision was made due to the substantial number of amendments-over 1600-proposed by 59 representatives. It was reasoned that discussing the bill in an open session could lead to extended delays and be tantamount to <non-approval.> Simultaneously, there was a pressing need to expedite the bill's passage. The parliamentary vote in favor of this approach was 175 for, 49 against, with five abstentions. The laws adopted under Article 85, will be implemented on a <trial basis> for a period of time determined by the parliament and their final approval will be subject to the parliament's decision.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/08/20/the-new-hijab-bill/
Opinion by Gino d'Artali: I said it not so long ago: the regime more and more is moving towards a same kind of dictatorship as there is in Afghanistan and life there for girls and women is in one word unbearable. And that's exactly where Iran and its mullahs want the country to head to and ... the rest does not be said nor described. Still, the women and girls are not going to give in that easily because their demands spoken some months ago will be shouted again, be it more loud and clear: <give in or go away!>.

Womens' Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2023