Translated by: Karineh Kanants

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Feminist School: In recent days, suppression on the Iranian women activities has been intesified

Sussan Tahmasebi has been prevented to travel and has been summoned to court

Security forces confiscated Sussan Tahmasebi’s( one of campaign for one million signatures) passport at the airport and preventing her from travel. Then the security forces searched her house and afterwards she was given a summons to report to the revolutionary court by end of October. This is the fourth time that the security forces are stopping Sussan Tahmasebi from traveling

The court hearing delayed for the 4 members of the campaign

Today 27th of October- Nahid Keshavarz, Mahboubeh Hosein Zadeh, Saaideh Amin and Sarah Aminian were summoned to court for the case which has been suspended since last year and accompanied by Nasrin Sotoudeh the groups lawyer. Because the judge was not present the hearing the hearing has been delayed to January 2009. Nasrin Sotoudeh stated: I am hopeful, as collecting signatures is not a crime according to the law my clients will be acquitted.

On the January of 2007 Nahid Keshavarz, Mahboubeh Hosein Zadeh, Saaideh Amin and Sarah Aminian were arrested whilst collecting signatures in the Laleh park, Saaideh Amin and Sarah Aminian were released the next day but Nahid Keshavarz, Mahboubeh Hosein Zadeh were jailed in Evin prison for 14 days. Prior to this incident Nahid Keshavarz had been charged with acting against the national security by propagating against the regime in Zanestan web site and Change for Equality and had six month suspended sentence.

Collection of the petition for the release of Esha Momenie continues

Esha Momeni one of the members of the campaign for one million signatures in California, was arrested on october 15 in Tehran and is held in Evin prison.Housein Ghashghavi the spokes person for Iranian foreign office On Monday in a press conference in Tehran spoke about the arrest of Esha Momenie”The relevant departments are looking in to her arrest, but the foreign office has received no information yet”. This is the first time since Esha’s arrest that the authorities have confirmed. Since her arrest camping for her release has been none stop and a special web log has been set up by her comrades in California, which carries a petition for her release is also going round the country and the world. We ask and advise our readers to sign the petition for her release immediately:

http://www.petitiononline.com/EshaM/petition.html

The latest news from Negin Shekholeslami, Kurdish women activist

20 days from Negin’s arrest has passed an independent journalist and the founding member and general secretary of Women Association Azar Mehr of Kurdistan. Negin is being held in solitary confinement in Evin prison and is under immense pressure and as a result is in a bad way mentally. Negin’s mother stated by phone: “I only speak to Negin by phone and all we can say is hello and goodbye” and added about Negins mental health and the heart operation Negin had a month before her arrest and she went on to say ” on behalf of our family we have requested that Negin should be released to continue with her treatment or be allowed to be visited by her own doctor, but they have not responded at all.”