Petition for the Release of Alieh Eghdamdoust

Fill out the form below to send an appeal to Head of the Judiciary Ayatollah Shahroudi for the release of imprisoned women’s rights activist Alieh Eghdamdoust (sample letter posted after jump):

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Your Excellency,

I am writing to express my deep concern for women’s rights activist Alieh Eghdamdoust, whose prison sentence was implemented on 31 January 2009.

Ms. Eghdamdoust was originally arrested along with 70 other women’s rights activists in Haft Tir Square, Tehran on 12 June 2006. She was charged with “acting against national security through participating in an illegal gathering and disturbing public order” by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court on 6 June 2007.

She appealed her sentence and the appeals court upheld her conviction over a year ago. Despite that, neither she nor her lawyers were informed of the decision, in contravention of Iranian law. She was denied the right of due process and could not halt the implementation of her sentence under Article 18 of the amendment to the Penal Code.

Ms. Eghdamdoust’s sentence implementation is unprecedented. She is the first women’s rights activist to be imprisoned on charges based solely on her activities supporting women’s rights. Her involvement in the demonstrations of Haft Tir Square and the collection of signatures for the One Million Signatures Campaign were completely legal. She has dedicated her work to peacefully changing discriminatory laws and to protecting the rights of women and men equally, rights that are guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights signed and ratified by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

With the recent spike in the targeting and detention of women’s rights activists, I appeal to you to free Alieh Eghdamdoust and end the unlawful persecution and prosecution of women’s rights activists.

Sincerely,

Your Name