Monthly Report by Hengaw on Women's Rights Violations in Iran: Executions, Arrests, Imprisonment, and Flogging

The human rights organization Hengaw reported on violations of women's rights in Iran during the first month of the current Gregorian year, noting the execution of one woman, the arrest of 12 female activists, and the sentencing of 17 women activists to imprisonment and flogging. According to this statistical report, at least 9 cases of femicide occurred in the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Ilam, Fars, Gilan, and Tehran in January. Hengaw reported that at least six women protesting the establishment of a salt factory were among those arrested last month. The Azerbaijani Political Prisoners Defense Association (ADAP) reported on January 21 that 70 environmental protesters from the village of Qara Qashlaq were arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence forces in Salmas County. According to Hengaw's statistics, at least 17 women activists, including two prisoners, Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Maryam Akbari Monfared, a political prisoner, were sentenced to a total of 50 years, 7 months, and 20 days in prison. Farzaneh Barzkar and Bahareh Shiri, two mothers seeking justice, were also among those sentenced to imprisonment last month. According to the report, Fereshteh Mahdavi, a citizen from Gorgan who was arrested while pursuing her child's case, was sentenced to both imprisonment and flogging. Recently, Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and imprisoned human rights activist, called for the 'criminalization of gender apartheid' in a letter to the UN Secretary-General, listing it as 'one of the instances of crimes against humanity.' In her letter to Antonio Guterres and representatives of UN member states, she referred to decades of 'Iranian women's lives under the shadow of the Islamic Republic,' stating that the Islamic Republic systematically and purposefully advances the policy of subjugating women using all governmental tools and powers, particularly through legislation that strips women of their human rights. Nada Al-Nashif, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN, was supposed to address two human rights issues regarding 'executions' and 'women's rights' during her recent visit to Iran. No news has yet been published regarding the outcomes of this UN official's visit to Iran. Zeynab Mousavi, a comedian, stated, 'I will be in prison on the anniversary of the Spring of Freedom.' British Parliament representatives are investigating 'gender apartheid' in Iran and Afghanistan. Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to imprisonment and other punishments for the third time in prison. Seventy residents of the village of Qara Qashlaq have been arrested; elderly women and men are among the detainees.