Human rights NGOs from the whole world stand in solidarity with Iranian women and protesters
We, the undersigned feminist and human rights organizations, stand in solidarity with the courageous women in Iran who have taken to the streets to peacefully protest the death in custody of Mahsa Amini and to demand their bodily rights.
We also express our profound sympathy to the families of the incredible Iranian protesters who have lost their lives to the ongoing brutal police crackdown in response to peaceful demonstrations. We urge all feminists and women human rights defenders, and their organizations in different countries and particularly in the MENA region, to stand in solidarity with Iranian women and amplify their voices through all means possible, especially now that Iran’s government has severely limited internet access across the country.
The weeks have witnessed unprecedented scenes of protesting in Iran. For the past four decades, the Iranian government has violently imposed mandatory hijab and other laws to limit women’s social and economic participation in society and force them out of the public space. Despite violent crackdowns against women who have consistently and peacefully expressed demands for change, we are now witness to the Kurdish motto of “Women, Life, Freedom!” being chanted by Iranians across the country.
Protests broke out in Iran following the September 16 death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman, in police custody three days after she was arrested by “morality” police for allegedly wearing her headscarf loosely. Mahsa was on a family trip to Tehran, but within a few hours of going out with her brother, she was in a coma in a hospital bed due to sustained brain injury and never recovered. Despite threats by intelligence forces for a quick burial in silence, Mahsa’s family refused to succumb and took her body to Saqqez, her hometown. Women at her funeral took off their headscarves and widespread protests in Kurdistan province were ignited. This collective mourning of a life lost so soon and so unjustly, escalated into countrywide protests with women at the forefront of every demonstration.
In recent months, Iran’s government has ramped up arbitrary arrests and judicial harassment of civil society activists, especially women’s movement activists, in a blatant attempt to silence those who speak up against systematic discrimination and repression. At the same time, we have witnessed increased violence from the so-called “morality” police patrols toward women. The case of Sepideh Rashnou from July of this year was a vivid example of these often violent encounters. Sepideh was arrested soon after her verbal argument on a bus with a mandatory hijab enforcer went viral. Sepideh was violently arrested, kept in solitary confinement for weeks, and released after she had to make a forced televised confession where she clearly had a bruised face and was in poor health.
Iran’s recent protests are referred to as a feminist revolution. Young, fearless women in the streets are taking off their headscarves and setting them on fire right in front of massive line-ups of riot police forces and demanding freedom. These protests have now gone beyond all divides, and men in large numbers are supporting these fierce women. Even in small cities with more traditional beliefs, everyone is chanting “Women, Life, Freedom!”
Many women are sharing videos of themselves cutting their hair to protest Mahsa’s killing. Several women Iranian artists and celebrities forced to comply with mandatory hijab have joined the movement by posting videos in which they take off their hijab despite the repercussions that this might have on their careers. Celebrities and athletes are among others who are supporting Iran’s first-ever feminist revolution by stepping down from their sports teams or supporting protestors in interviews.
As the protests continue, the government has escalated its massive crackdown, and scores of women human rights defenders, journalists, students, human rights lawyers, and ordinary protestors have been arrested. Based on recent reports from human rights groups, over 100 protesters have been killed by security forces. The government has also imposed another internet blackout to block people’s access to social networks and messaging apps to suppress the protests. This is similar to the pattern used in the 2019 uprisings, which blocked communication in social networks and messaging apps to stop people from sharing images from protests and images of the violent and bloody police crackdowns. However, the voices of women and feminist groups are amplified by their sisters and peers in many countries. They have stood in solidarity by organizing protests and publishing videos supporting the movement in Iran.
We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with Iranian women who are protesting the unjust killing of Mahsa Amini and who are demanding democracy as well as rights to bodily autonomy and fundamental freedoms all over Iran. Furthermore, we urge our feminist sisters in international organizations and regional groups to show their solidarity in any way possible.
Our Demands and Recommendations:
We urge the UN Human Rights Council to condemn the violent actions of the Iranian government against women and hold them accountable for the suppression and killing of protesters.
We urge UN member states to to support calls for a UN led investigative mechanism on Iran through the adoption of a resolution during an urgent session of the ongoing 51st regular session of Human Rights Council.
We urge the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls, the Special Rapporteur on Elimination of Violence against Women, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, the Special Rapporteur on Peaceful Assembly, and other UN mandate holders to investigate and report on the systematic violation of the rights of Iranian women and protesters by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The UN and member states should work with the government of Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ease border crossing restrictions for those rights defenders fleeing to safety and should work to ensure the safety of HRDs in these countries. Governments and the UN should facilitate and expedite refugee status and the repatriation processes of Iranian HRDs, and especially WHRDs, in neighboring countries who are at risk of extrajudicial retaliation by Iranian authorities.
We urge the governments of countries with diplomatic ties to Iran, especially Global South and non-aligned states, to summon the ambassadors of the Islamic Republic of Iran and express their concerns over the killings of protesters, the violence being used against protesters, and the widespread arrests of human rights defenders, journalists, student activists and political activists.
Donors should consider expanding urgent support funding for human rights defenders, especially women human rights defenders facing threat and risk, including fellowship and respite opportunities that are more flexible and easy to access.
We ask international and regional human rights organizations to take a stance on the recent events in Iran, to follow up on the situation of those detained, press for their release, and demand that Iranian authorities ensure their safety and health while in detention.
We ask the international and regionally focused journalist associations and unions to condemn the arrests and arbitrary detention of Iranian journalists in recent days, especially the female journalists who have been at the forefront of reporting on recent developments.
We ask feminist groups and organizations to continue supporting Iranian women and their demands for rights and bodily autonomy through protests, peaceful gatherings, statements, production of artwork, and through other means.
Signatories:
Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, US
Advancing Knowledge in Democracy and Law Initiative, Malaysia/Southeast Asia
Afghanistan Women Protesters, Afghanistan
Aliansi Perempuan Bangkit / Emergence Women Alliance Indonesia
All Women’s Action Society (AWAM), Malaysia
Arab Digital Expression Foundation, Egypt – Regional Mandate
Arab Watch Coalition, MENA Region
Article 19, Global
Artistic Freedom Initiative, United States
Arts for Women Indonesia, Indonesia
Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, MENA Region
Asociación Ciudadana ACCEDER, Costa Rica
Association el-Karama, Tunisia
Association for Monitoring Gender Equality, Turkey
Association of Women Lawyers Sel & FT, Malaysia
Association Suisse pour les Droits des Femmes, Switzerland
Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates , Tunisie
Assocition d Environnement et Developpement Durable , Tunisie
AWID (Association for Women’s Rights in Development), Global
Balance Promoción para el Desarrollo y Juventud, Mexico
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), India-South Asia
BMMA, India
Cairo Foundation for Development and Law, Egypt
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), MENA Region
Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW), Canada
CCMW Niagara Chapter, Canada
Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance, Egypt
Center for Human Rights in Iran, United States
Center for Human Rights Studies, University of Surabaya (CHRS Ubaya), Indonesia
Center for Reproductive Rights, Global
Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, Germany
Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Malaysia
Channel Foundation, United States
CIVICUS, Global
Coalition for Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), Indonesia
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, Global
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, Canada
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces, United States
Congrgacion Del Buen Pastor , Chile
CREA, Global
Culture Action Europe, Europe
Daraj Media , Lebanon
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), MENA Region
Demokratik Emekliler Sendikası (DEM-SEN) , Turkey
Deutscher Frauenring e.v, Germany
Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF), Nigeria
Ecumenical Community for Contemplative Engagement
Equality Fund, Global
Equality Watch Women’s Group – Eşitlik İzleme Kadın Grubu (EŞİTİZ), Turkey
ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey
Erktolia, Turkey
Fe-Male Feminist Collective, Lebanon
FEDERA, Poland
FEMENA, MENA Region
Femmes et Droits Humains, Mali
FIDH-MENA, MENA Region
Forum Tunisien pour ls Droits Economiques et Sociaux , Tunisie
Foundation Innovation Social Development, Sri Lanka
Free Women Writers, Afghanistan, USA
Fund for Congolese Women, Democratic Republic of Congo
Fundacion Justicia y Genero, Latin America
GAMCOTRAP, Gambia
Gender and Democracy Centre, Indonesia
Gerakan Perempuan Peduli Indonesia [Indonesian Women Awareness Movement], Indonesia
Good Shepherd International Foundation, Italy
Good Shepherd Mission Hub, Malaysia
GreeneWorks, United States
Hawaa Organization for Relief and Development, Iraq
Human Rights Activists (in Iran), United States
Human Rights Sentinel, MENA Region
Human Rights Watch, Global
IFEX, Global
Indonesian Legal Aid Association for Women (APIK), Indonesian
Inkyfada/Alkhatt, Tunisie
Institute of the Third Space, Indonesia
International Alliance of Women (IAW), Global
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Global
International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP), Malaysia
Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms, Tunisia
Iraqi Women Network, Iraq
IRIS Women Watch, Turkey
Isha Lisha- Haifa Feminist Center, Haifa
Islamic Development and Relief Agency, South Sudan
Jamaity, Tunisia
Jeunes femmes pour la démocratie , Marocco
Jurnal Sang Pemula, Malaysia
Justice for Iran, Iran-UK
Kaos GL, Turkey
Kawaakibi Foundation, Norway
KEDV, Turkey
Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centrem, Palestine
Kirmizi Biber Dernegi, Turkey
KPI-LJSP Cabang Jember , Indonesia
Kun Organization, Libya
League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI), Iran-France
Legal Dignity, Malaysia
MADRE, Global
MAJU, Malaysia
Manushya Foundation, Southeast Asia
Marta Abrantes Mendes, Marta Abrantes Mendes
MenEngage Global Alliance, Global
Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders, Mesoamerica
Miaan Group, United States
Musawah, Malaysia
Muslims for Progressive Values, United States
Mwatana for Human Rights, Yemen
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, United States
National Observatory to Defend the Civility of the State, Tunisia
No Peace Without Justice, Global
No Sanctions on Iran, United States
Noor, MENA Region
Open Society Foundations, Global
Organisation Contre la Torture en Tunisie , Tunisia
PASS Foundation- Peace for Sustainable Societies, Yemen
Passon Legal Organization, Afghanistan
Peace Track Initiative, Yemen-Canada
Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor, Malaysia
Persatuan Warisan Wibawa , Malaysia
Political Well-Being, Turkey
Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI), India
Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), MENA Region
Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, United States
Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ), Global South
Réseau National des Jeunes Filles et Femmes Rurales du Mali ( RENAJFFERM), Mali
Rosa Women’s Association, Turkey
Rumpun Indonesia, Indonesia
Saiamak Pourzand Foundation, Iran-US
Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, Yemen
Secularism Is A Women’s Issue, Global
Sekolah Damai Indonesia (SEKODI) Bandung, Indonesia
Sisters in Islam (SIS), Malaysia
Sisters of the Good Shepherd-New York/Toronto Province, United States
Sisters of the Good Shepherd, New Zealand, Australia
Society for the Improvement of Rural People, Nigeria
Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) , Malaysia
Sonke Gender Justice, South Africa
Southern and Eastern Trade Information and Negotiations Institute, Uganda
Sukaar Welfare Organization, Pakistan
Suluh Perempuan Indonesia , Indonesia
The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Asia-Pacific
The Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence, Turkey
The Awakening – A Member of Men Engage Alliance Pakistan, Pakistan
The Freedom Initiative, United States
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), MENA Region
The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation , Global
The Munathara Initiative, MENA Region
Turkish Council of Women, Turkey
United for Iran, Iran-US
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, United States
Väter Aktiv, Italy
Vigilance for Democracy and the Civic State, Tunisia
Virtual Activism, United States
WHRD MENA Coalition, MENA Region
Women for Human Rights, Single Women Group (WHR), Nepal
Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) – New Ways, Turkey
Women’s Rights Center, Montenegro
Women’s March Malaysia, Malaysia
Women’s Council Denmark, Denmark
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Global
Yayasan Penghapusan Kekerasan Terhadap Perempuan “Mitra Perempuan” [The Foundation For Elimination of Violence Against Women “Mitra Perempuan”], Indonesia
Yayasan Perlindungan Insani Indonesia, Indonesia
Yemen Future for Media and Culture Development, Yemen
Adala For All Association, France /Libya
