Kamangir (Archer)

Police Violence in Iran against Activist Women (Updated)

Kamangir | March 4, 2007 | Category Iran

A calm protest in front of the Revolution’s Court was attacked violently by the Police. Here are a few news on the incident.

Farnaz writes,

This morning, Iran’s local time, a group of women activists gathered in front of the Revolution’s Court to protest against the unlawful trend of arrests, interrogations, and trials of activist women in the year which will end in a few weeks. According to the witnesses, half an hour after the protestants gathered in silence, two Police officers, one not wearing Police uniform [an icon of the intelligence forces] and a black-wearing woman approached the participants and tore apart their banners while swearing. Then, they confiscated one of the participants’ cell phone and told them to leave the place immediately, because “it is ordered from the above”. According to the latest news [at the time of writing], a Police officer is pushing, beating, and swearing to the protestants. He has been heard saying “we will arreast you all” and “we will hang you all from trees“.

Muslim Feminist reports that fifty arrests are made. As there is heavy planning for a protest in front of the parliament, on March 8th, these arrests can be seen as a preemptive action. The names of the detainees are mentioned in Zanestan, in Persian.

Kosoof gives the names of the detainees and has their pictures. He also reports on a violent act commited by the Police against one of the activists,

Shadi Sadr, Asieh Amini, Jila Bani Yaghoub, Mahboubeb Abbasgholizadeh, Mahboubeh Hosseinzadeh, Sara Loghmani, Zara Amjadian, Mariam Hossein Khah, Jelveh Javaheri, Niloofar Golkar, Parastoo Dokoohaki, Zeinab Peyghambarzadeh, Maryam Mirza, Saghar Laghayee, Rezvan Moghadam, Saghie Laghayee, Nahid Keshavarz, Mahnaz Mohammadi, Nasrin Afzali, Farideh Entesari,Sara Imanian, Elnaz Ansari, Fatemeh Govarayee, Azadeh Forghani, Sommayeh Farid, Minoo Mortezayee, Sara Imanian.Nooshin Amhadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan, Shahla Entesari and Susan Tahmasebi—five prominent members of the women’s rights movement—who had to attend their court hearing left the court session in support of their fellow activists. They, too, got arrested upon their departure from the court.

The police officers hit Nahid Jafari’s head to the police van and as a result of such violent actions, her teeth broke and the officers are currently refusing to take her to the emergency room.

Reportedly, the detainees have been transferred to the “Social Corruption Office”, the IR body which arrests girls and boys for “immodesty”.

Blogestan is following the news, in Balatarin, in Persian.

Zanestan reports that the detainees have been transferred to the infamous Evin Prison. A Dutch journalist present in the scene has been arrested, too.

More news to come.