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

Growing number of women's and human rights organizations express concern for the safety of Shirin Ebadi and demand protection and guarantee of her civil and political rights January 5, 2009 http://learningpartnership.org/en/advocacy/alerts/iranwomenarrests0307 The situation of Nobel peace laureate and human rights defender Shirin Ebadi grows increasingly critical. Over the last two weeks the organization she heads, Defenders of Human Rights Center, was shut down, false accusations of tax evasion were made against her in the media, her private law offices were raided and confidential case files seized, and on January 1st a mob of 150 demonstrated in front of her house in an orchestrated attempt to connect her to the Israeli actions in Gaza. Protestors began kicking the door to her home and vandalized the exterior of her property in an attempt to further intimidate her. We condemn the Iranian government's campaign against the country's most prominent human rights activist, and demand that they guarantee Shirin Ebadi's safety and her civil and political rights. Join the over eighty human rights organizations and activists who have expressed grave concern for Ms. Ebadi's safety and human rights. Send an email to wlp@learningpartnership.org. For more information, see WLP's alert issued on December 30th, Change for Equality website, Feminist School website, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's statement of concern.

Organizations African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) Anti Trafficking Center, Serbia The Arab Resource Center on Violence Against Women, Jordan Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc (ADFM), Morocco Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, Nigeria Center for Women's Global Leadership Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action, Lebanon Creating Hope International Education Society of Malopolska (MTO), Nowy Sacz, Poland English PEN Fondation Surgir, Switzerland Human Rights Center/Citizens Against Corruption, Kyrgyzstan International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran Iranian Women's Organization of Ontario Kadın Emeğini Değerlendirme Vakfı/Foundation for the Support of Women's Work, Turkey Moremi Initiative for Women's Leadership in Africa Secularism Is A Women's Issue (SIAWI) Sisterhood Is Global Institute/Jordan Sisters in Islam, Malaysia Van Kadin Dernegi (VAKAD)/ Van Women's Association, Turkey Women's Centre, Bombay Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace Women's UN Report Network (WUNRN) Women Poverty Eradication Centre (WOPEC), Cameroon Individuals Munerah Ahmed Eersa Sami Ahuja, Pakistan Anwar H. Alkhalldy Jane Anderson Dr. Nimat Hafez Barazangi Hana Bhuiyan Andrea Michelle Chavez Manasi Dash Maureen Daly Mary Lou DeFino Dr. Mehrdad Emadi Rachel C. Fletcher Pie Friendly Mouna Ghanem Vanessa Griffen, Fiji Dr. Hormoz Hekmat Tom Hennes Dr. Juliet Hunt, Independent Consultant on Gender and Development H. Patricia Hynes Ali Kabiri Darius Kadivar Kanchan Lama, Independent Gender Adviser, Nepal Theresa de Langis, Ph.D. Cat Lucas Maryam Majd Eleonora Barbieri Masini Dr. Belle McDonnell, Anglo American University, Czech Republic Sabine Missistranoo, President of Honour of the Belgian League for Human Rights Sophie Moochhala Naomi Myrvaagnes, Brandeis University Women's Studies Scholars Program Azar Nafisi Sabri Najafi Elaine Nonneman Ayo Obe, Legal Practitioner, Nigeria Billie Paris Pamela Day Pelletreau, Ph.D. Alexandra Pittman Dr. Shirley Randell AM, Consultant, Gender and Governance for Empowerment, Rwanda Monica M. Ringer, Asst. Prof. Middle Eastern History, Departments of History and Asian Languages & Civilizations, Amherst College Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, Coordinator: femLINKPACIFIC - Media Initiatives for Women Leni M. Silverstein Sharan Tabari Dr. Nada Ler Sofronic, "Woman and Society," Sarajevo Maheen Sultan Kehinde Taiwo Ph.D, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria Kamran Talattof, Professor Sue Telingator Nayereh Tohidi, Ph.D., Professor & Chair, Gender & Women's Studies Department, California State University, Northridge Aleyamma Vijayan, Sakhi,India Lynne Wasserman Barbara Scott Winkler, Professor of Women's Studies, Southern Oregon University Nancy Wrenn Akuila Yabaki Faizun Zackariya, Centre for Development Initiatives, Sri Lanka