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Women’s Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          

PRESS RELEASE

Public Statement

CONTACT: press@wfafi.org   

February 1, 2011

BOSTON, MA- As the world watches the uprisings in the Middle East, the fundamentalist regime in Tehran is hard at work to ensure its suppressive measures remain effective. There have been more than 90 executions in Iran in the last 45 days.
Last weekend, the Iranian regime hanged Zahra Bahrami, a 4-year-old Dutch citizen who was arrested for partaking in the anti-government protests of December 2009. Mrs. Bahrami, who was visiting family in Iran at the time, was arrested and taken to Evin prison where she was kept in solitary confinement for over ten months. She was charged with "acting against national security" and "propaganda against the regime." Additional charges came later which included smuggling drugs into the country from the Netherlands. Under unbearable psychological and physical torture, Zahra was forced to confess to false charges. The manufactured "drug charges" have been denied by her family and according to Zahra's daughter, her mother was told she would be released if she signs the government's confession. On January 2nd, 2011 the court handed down Zahra's execution sentence, which her family was not made aware of, and on January 29th, the order was carried out and Zahra was executed in Tehran.

The Netherlands immediately froze all official contacts it had with Iran in protest of her execution, which Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthall referred to as "a barbaric act by the Iranian regime." The European Union foreign policy chief is said to be taking measures against Iran. The US State Department also expressed its concern over the execution, stating, they are "troubled by the recent execution of Dutch-Iranian national Zahra Bahrami, who was denied access to Dutch consular officials."

Currently there are close to 20 women facing execution in Iran. Cold hearted policies and commercially-driven interests must end when it comes to dealing with the misogynous rulers in Tehran.

In order to honor Zahra and thousands of others who have given their lives for freedom in Iran, WFAFI urges:
- Ending all diplomatic relations with the Iranian regime and adopting stronger sanctions against the Iranian regime by the Dutch government.
- European Union, United States and all others must take similar measure and place protection of all political prisoners and respect for human rights at the center of a Iran-policy.

In recent months, Tehran's leaders have escalated a violent campaign against all forms of political dissent with executions, public hanging and visible suppressive measures nationwide. Such measures will not deter the growing indigenous movement for a democratic change in Iran, it does however, challenge all others claim to "stand on the right side of the history" and vow to promote human rights. Continued and persistent pressure on Tehran's regime is in support of the Iranian people, particularly women. The time to act is now.


 

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