OneWorld.net (U.S.)

WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (OneWorld.net) - Human rights organizations in Muslim-majority countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have expressed "grave concern" for the personal safety of Shirin Ebadi as the renowned human rights defender and her colleagues have faced escalating acts of persecution in recent days.

• 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi. © Radio Netherlands WereldomroepTwo other global human rights watchdog groups, Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, also called this week for an immediate end to the persecution of Ebadi. "We are extremely worried for Shirin Ebadi's safety and her ability to continue her important human rights work,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. The groups expressed serious concern that the continuing attacks against Ebadi also put all Iranian civil society activists in peril. "If Ebadi is not safe from official harassment, no Iranian activist can feel safe from persecution and dubious prosecution resulting from the government's distaste for peaceful activism," said Hadi Ghaemi, coordinator of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

• Writing two weeks before the U.S. presidential election, two scholars of international peace encouraged the next U.S. president to foster a broad, confidence-building dialogue with Iran on issues of common interest -- such as opposition to al-Qaeda -- in order to effectively address points of contention, including nuclear arms and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Iran is currently at loggerheads with the international community over the nation's alleged development of nuclear weapons. Mistrust tints the world's view of Iran as Iranian leaders proclaim the country's right to possess the weapons but deny that the nuclear technology is for anything other than civil purposes. In December 2006, the UN Security Council approved sanctions that prohibit the supply of nuclear technology to Iran. These were further tightened in March 2007. According to the OneWorld UK Iran country guide: "The United States and its allies continue to push for tighter sanctions even as human rights organizations worldwide denounce the real effects of sanctions on ordinary Iranians rather than the government."

• The 1 Million Signatures Campaign for Women's Rights in Iran was a finalist for OneWorld.net's People of 2008 Award. This grassroots movement of Iranian women and men is educating women about their fundamental human rights and steadily becoming a powerful force for women's equality in the patriarchal country.

Women's and Human Rights Organizations Concerned for the Safety of Shirin Ebadi

From: Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace

December 30, 2008

We, the undersigned, representing women's and human rights organizations working in Muslim-majority countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, express our grave concern for the personal safety of Shirin Ebadi. Ms. Ebadi, a staunch defender of women's rights activists and human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and internationally, has been subjected to increased intimidation and harassment by security forces of the Islamic Republic in recent weeks. These actions follow escalating acts of persecution against women activists ranging from search and seizure of computers and personal property and closure of websites to travel bans, imprisonment, and sentencing of tens of prominent women's rights defenders. Women's rights activists have been routinely accused of "acting against the national security of the state" for their peaceful activities calling for equal rights for women and men.

Ms. Ebadi is a founding member and head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, a nongovernmental organization that was forcibly closed by security forces on December 21. A few days later, following a search that yielded no incriminating evidence, Mehr News Agency, affiliated with the government, reported that Ms. Ebadi had failed to pay her taxes - an allegation that has been refuted by Ms. Ebadi. Yesterday, security officers identifying themselves as tax officials stormed and raided her private law offices, attempting to seize two computers and confidential client files, which she refused to surrender until she was forced to do so.

The first Muslim woman to be honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, Ms. Ebadi has represented numerous human rights activists and promoted legal protections for women and children in Iran. Her work in support of democracy and human rights has had a global impact. In 2006 she joined five other Nobel Peace Prize winners to found the Nobel Women's Initiative, and she has spoken and published internationally in furtherance of her human rights work. The actions against Ms. Ebadi during the past week demonstrate a targeted effort not only to obstruct directly the work of the country's most influential human rights defender, but also to intimidate Iranian human rights activists as a group.

We, the undersigned women's rights activists and organizations, strongly condemn the acts of harassment against Ms. Ebadi and are gravely concerned for her personal security and the protection of the rights of women activists in the country.

For more details on the closing of the Defenders of Human Rights Center and the raid on Ms. Ebadi's office, visit www.4equality.info/english/spip.php?article424. For updates in Persian, visit www.feministschool.biz/spip.php?article1904. To join us in voicing your support for Ms. Ebadi and Iranian women's rights activists by adding your signature to this statement, please send an e-mail to .

• The Arab Resource Center on Violence Against Women, Jordan
• Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)
• BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, Nigeria
• Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action, Lebanon
• Creating Hope International
• Human Rights Center/Citizens Against Corruption, Kyrgyzstan
• International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
• Kadın Emeğini Değerlendirme Vakfı/Foundation for the Support of Women's Work, Turkey
• Sisterhood Is Global Institute/Jordan
• Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace

Shirin Ebadi’s Private Law Office Stormed by Security Forces

From: Change for Equality

December 29, 2008; Change for Equality: On Monday December 29, 2008 at 5:30 in the afternoon the private law office of Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Lawyer and human rights defenders was stormed by 5 security officers identifying themselves as tax officials, who presented a letter allowing them to take two computers and other documents.

Shirin Ebadi has however refused to surrender her case files and computers to these officials citing that the confidential nature of the work of lawyers, especially human rights lawyers, and claiming that the act of surrendering client files to government officials would breach that confidentiality. These security officials are presently in Ms. Ebadi’s private law office and engaged in search of the premises and seizure of property.

This latest assault takes place following the closure of the Defenders of Human Rights Center on December 21, which provides free legal advice and support to human rights defenders and of which Ebadi is a founding member. A few days following the closure of the Center, tax officials had gone to Ebadi’s private practice making inquiries about her income and tax payments. Ms. Ebadi was extremely cooperative during this inquiry, so much so that tax officials thanked her for her cooperative approach. These officials examined computers and other documents in Ebadi’s office and announced that since there were no documents related to her income or tax payment they would not remove any documents or computers from the office. Despite this development, on the following day, Mehr News Agency, announced in a report that Shirin Ebadi had failed to pay her taxes. This news was refuted by Shirin Ebadi. This latest assault seems to be part of an ongoing Campaign of harassment of Shirin Ebadi, human rights defenders as a whole and reflects the worsening situation of human rights in Iran.

We will provide news on further developments in this respect.

The Defenders of Human Rights Center Raided and Closed

Change for Equality: On Sunday December 21, 2008 plain clothes and uniformed police and security officials raided the offices of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), a human rights Organization headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, preventing a delayed celebration of the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights by the Center and sealing their offices. According to reports from those present at the scene security officials not only sealed the offices but also mistreated the members of the Center, including a physical confrontation with Mr. Ismaiel Zadeh and a violent verbal confrontation with Ms. Nargess Mohamadi both members of the Center. Ms. Ebadi was also present during this raid.

In relation to these developments, Ms. Jinous Sobhani, a member of the Women and Children’s Committee of the Center explained in an interview with Change for Equality that: "a celebration in honor of the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights was scheduled for 4:30 pm on the 21st of December in the office of the Center. Several of the members of the Center had arrived at the offices at 3:00pm to prepare for the celebration. Ms. Mohammadi entered the offices and informed us that a large number of uniformed and plain clothes security officers were congregated outside the building of the Center. After a few minutes the security officials entered the building and tried to enter our offices. Ms. Mohammadi asked to see a court order allowing them to enter and search the premises. The Security officials did not have a court order as such we closed the door and refused them permission for entry. After a few minutes the security officials approached us again giving us the number of the court order. But since the court order was not presented to us in writing and since Ms. Ebadi was not on the premises at that time, we refused to open the doors once again."

Sobhani also informed the site of Change for Equality that: "there were a large number of police vehicles in the area surrounding our office as well as uniformed and plain clothes security officials, who dispersed guests intent on participating in the Center’s ceremony. In the encounters with security officials Ms. Mohammadi was insulted by the officers and the premises and surrounding areas were video taped by security officials. Mr. Ismail Zadeh a member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center was physically beaten and his mobile phone was also confiscated."

"In the end, after Ms. Ebadi arrived on the scene, and the security officials claiming that they intended to employ a peaceful approach entered our offices. After an hour’s time, and while video taping the premises, the security officials forced the members of the Center out of the offices and sealed our doors."

The reaction of the international community and press as well as Iranian human rights organizations to this development has been swift condemnation. Read related news and some of the statements issued in this respect:

Joint Statement Issued by Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran: Reverse Closure of Nobel Laureate’s Rights Group

The Earth Times: EU Voices Concern at Ebadi Office Closure in Tehran

The Washington Post: Iran Shuts Down Rights Center

AP: Iran shuts office of Nobel winner’s rights group

Press TV: Ebadi Reacts to Office Shut Down

Trend News Agency, Azarbaijan: Dutch Condemn Closure of Iran Human Rights Center

Daily Times Pakistan: Rights Groups Blast Iran Raid on Nobel Laureate’s office

Top News India: Closure of Iranian Human Rights Office Troubling

The Daily Star, Bangladesh: Tehran goes Tough on Shirin Ebadi

The Nobel Women’s Initiative: Nobel Laureates Condemn Harassment of Human Rights Defenders in Iran

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