On December 20th 2009 Shiva Nazar Ahari, a human rights defender, was arrested along with other members of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, while attending Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri’s funeral. Known for her involvement in the Iranian women’s rights movement, she was also a prime organizer of the Coalition (Hamgarayee), which mediated between secularist and Islamist women’s rights activists in Iran. Both groups of women joined forces to speak to the presidential candidates with a unified voice. This group established a women’s rights charter. Shiva publicized the draft of the women’s rights charter in the months leading to last year’s June 12th elections. Shiva is currently being held at Evin Prison, a prison notorious for housing political prisoners. While information concerning how long she has been in solitary confinement has been released, the Iranian state has yet to issue a statement specifying her alleged crime. Since last December’s arrest, she has made little contact with her family. In her last phone call last February, she informed them that she was under pressure to make a false confession and she briefly described her transfer to solitary confinement. Until now, she has not had a formal trial and has been unable to meet with a lawyer. Shiva’s situation is dire. With no official charge made against her, her potential release is currently unforeseeable. Thus far, only the committees of Human Rights Reports and other Iranian organizations, journalists and students have campaigned on her behalf. However, it is important for the international community to also become involved. WLUML, AWID, and other transnational women’s organizations are currently releasing statements about Shiva’s predicament. Shadi Sadr, a human rights lawyer, women’s rights activist, and a member of the Women Living Under Muslim Laws Council, is the recipient of the 2010 International Women of Courage Award. At the upcoming Women of Courage Award Ceremony which will be held in Washington D.C. today March 10th, 2010 a recorded a message will be played for Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Sadr has decided to dedicate the award in honor of Shiva as a means to direct the world’s attention to the many human rights activists like Shiva who are currently imprisoned. Sadr’s intentional absence from the awards ceremony is a bold statement but one intended to be an act of solidarity with fellow Iranian women and human rights activists who are currently imprisoned. Sadr has taken this international recognition as an opportunity to redirect the international attention to those like Sadr who are in need of international action for their release. Shadi Sadr's speech: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUU1ayxcou8[/youtube] Similar incidents in the past have proven that international involvement has positively contributed to the release of prisoners by exerting pressure on the Iranian state to take action to alleviate the negative international press. Stay tuned for more information concerning how you can participate in a letter writing campaign calling for Shiva’s release. BM
