Iranian authorities harass women’s rights campaigners

Iranian activists involved in a campaign to collect 1 million signatures in support of equal rights for women continue to face harassment, Amnesty International reported on Thursday.

Two Kurdish activists- Ronak Safarzadeh and Hana Abdi- currently remain detained without charge or trial, following their arrests in October and November 2007 for their involvement in the campaign. More than 40 others have been detained in connection with their campaign activities.

The campaign’s website has been blocked seven times.

Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi stated, “We are a nation bursting with female ability. We are a country blessed with hard-working women desperate to make a contribution, but one hobbled by legalized prejudice and social bigotry. Now more than ever, the women of Iran deserve our support.”

Iran’s legal system severely discriminates against women in regards to divorce, inheritance, child custody and numerous other areas. In Iran’s court system, a woman’s testimony is worth half of a man’s.

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