Statement from 17 Religious Thinkers: The Islamic Republic is Responsible for the Health of Sediqeh Vosoughi

Seventeen religious thinkers issued a statement criticizing the deprivation of Sediqeh Vosoughi, a government-critical religious scholar, of her basic medical rights and the concerns raised about her physical condition. They held the Islamic Republic responsible for Ms. Vosoughi's health and demanded her unconditional release. The signatories condemned her detention, emphasizing that she suffers from severe vision problems and other illnesses, requiring continuous medical care. The statement was signed by notable figures including Mohammad Javad Akbarin, Hassan Youssefi Ashkouri, Abdolali Bazargan, Meysam Badamchi, Abdolkarim Soroush, Soroush Dabbagh, Ahmad Alavi, and Reza Alijani. Meanwhile, Sediqeh Vosoughi expressed hope from prison in a message for Nowruz, stating that 'this year should be a year of taking a significant step towards a free Iran.' In this message, published on her Instagram page, she noted that 'achieving a free and democratic Iran requires the sustained solidarity and a common program of all groups and intellectual and political currents in Iran.' Ms. Vosoughi was arrested on March 17, 2023, by security agents of the Islamic Republic in Tehran. A member of the first Tehran City Council, she removed her hijab following widespread protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police last year. Along with several Iranian political activists, she issued a statement in December of the previous year criticizing mandatory hijab as a pretext 'for violating the dignity and rights of Iranian women' and called for 'an end to oppressive policies against women in various personal and social domains.' This critical scholar of Islam also participated in the virtual meeting 'Dialogue for the Rescue of Iran' held in May of this year by a group of political activists inside and outside Iran. Mostafa Daneshgar noted that Sediqeh Vosoughi believed mandatory hijab contradicts justice, humanity, and Islam. Sediqeh Vosoughi refused to attend the Revolutionary Court, stating that defending oneself in this 'kangaroo court' is meaningless.