Iran

35 Years of Forced Hijab: The Widespread and Systematic Violation of Women's Rights in Iran

Iran is the first country where all women are forced by law to observe hijab laws. Without espousing a clear definition of hijab, Islamic Republic laws consider women who lack “Islamic veil” in “public” as committing a crime punishable by imprisonment and fines. Based on Sharia laws, Islamic hijab implies covering hair and the entire body except for wrists and hands.

Fed up with Iran's draconian dress code, women flout the rules - report

Friday 7th March 2014, Emma Batha - LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - After Iranian film actress Marzieh Vafamehr appeared with her head uncovered in My Tehran for Sale, an Australian film critical of her home country, she was sentenced to three months in jail and a hefty fine.

When Iran banned lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh from flying to Italy to receive a human rights prize, she sent a video-taped acceptance speech and was promptly fined for not wearing a hijab in the recording.

The actress and lawyer are among hundreds of thousands of girls and women who have fallen foul of Iran’s strict dress code. More than 30,000 have been arrested over the last decade for violating the law, according to a report published on Friday which calls for an end to forced hijab. Some of those detained were as young as 12 years old.

A Former Child Bride is Hanged and Denied Her Last Wish to See Her Daughter

4^th March 2014 - Justice for Iran (JFI) and Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) condemn the hanging of Farzaneh Moradi, a 26-year-old woman charged with the murder of her husband. She was hanged this morning in Isfahan, Iran without the knowledge of her lawyer. Her final request to see her young daughter was not granted.

Urgent Action: Free Maryam Shafi’pour!

Reports indicate Islamic Republic judiciary officials continue to subject prisoner Maryam Shafi’pour to undue pressure and abuse in order to extract false confessions.

Islamic Republic football officials and gender-based discrimination against female athletes

URGENT ACTION: Iran: A former child bride faces execution by hanging

Women Living Under Laws (WLUML) condemn the sentencing of Farzaneh Moradi, a 26-year-old woman accused of murdering her husband, to die by hanging.

Early and Forced Marriage in the Islamic Republic of Iran

The following submission, is presented to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the occasion of the 26th session of the Human Rights Council, and provides a brief summary of violations of rights of girl children in the Islamic republic of Iran as a result of laws that permit and indeed condone the practice of early marriage in that country.

Iran: 'Jila Baniyaghoob | Prisoner Of Conscience In Iran'

In September, Iranian President Rouhani granted amnesty to 12 political prisoners as he made his way to an annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. But former Evin prison inmate and 2009 IWMF Courage in Journalism Awardee, Jila Baniyaghoob, cautions this isolated act does not signify democratic momentum.

UN expert breaks global silence on rape of young virgin girls in Iranian prisons

Justice for Iran (JFI), London (28 October 2013) – On 24 October, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Professor Rashida Manjoo, introduced a comprehensive report, entitled Pathways to, conditions and consequences of incarceration of women. The report was officially presented at the UN General Assembly session and was followed by efforts highlighting the need to improve knowledge and skills pertaining to rights of women in the criminal justice system.

Stolen Lives, Empty Classrooms: An Overview on Girl Marriages in Iran

Forced marriages result from harmful traditional practices1 justified in the name of cultural, economic, political and/or legal standards. Forced marriages are a phenomenon tantamount to slavery, as explicated in a report by a United Nations Special Rapporteur, and often affect boys and girls under 18 years of age, especially under 10. 2 Global statistics demonstrate that every minute an average of 27 girls are forced into marriage.