IRANIAN WOMEN FACE PRISON FOR RIGHTS PETITION

IRAN

Fatemeh Masjedi (f) and Maryam Bidgoli (f)

At any moment, women’s rights activists Fatemeh Masjedi and Maryam Bidgoli could be sent to prison for six months for peacefully collecting signatures for a petition demanding an end to discrimination against women in law in Iran.
Fatemeh Masjedi and Maryam Bidgoli are both members of the One Million Signatures Campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality), a grassroots movement working towards an end to discrimination against women in Iranian law. On 29 December 2010, both were summoned to report within three days to prison officials in Qom to begin serving a six-month prison sentence, but they remain free pending further legal challenges against their convictions and sentences; however, Amnesty International fears they could be imprisoned at any moment. They had both been arrested on 7 May 2009 for peacefully gathering signatures in support of ending discriminatory laws against women in Iran and were released after two weeks in detention. They were sentenced to one year's imprisonment by Branch Two of the Revolutionary Court in Qom on 29 August 2010 for "spreading propaganda against the system in favour of a feminist group (the Campaign) by distributing and collecting signatures for a petition to change laws discriminating against women, and for publication of materials in support of a feminist group opposed to the system". This was reduced to six months on appeal by Branch Three of the provincial appeal court. If imprisoned, Amnesty International would consider them to be prisoners of conscience.
Among the reasons for upholding the sentenced given in the appeal court verdict was the fact that the two women had "signed a letter complaining about the situation of human rights in Iran, and stating that Iran's candidacy for a seat on the Commission on the Status of Women had no merit and that the presence of Iran on this Commission would be a threat to world peace and security". The verdict also referred to an interview given by Maryam Bidgoli to the opposition website Jaras, and a statement signed by 600 members of the women's movement on the occasion of 12 June [the anniversary of a demonstration against discrimination against women in law].

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