Yasamin Hashedari, Women's Rights Activist in Gilan Province, Summoned and Imprisoned Without Completing Medical Treatment

The human rights organization "Hengaw" reported on Thursday, July 25, the summoning and transfer of Yasamin Hashedari, a women's rights activist in Anzali Port, to Lakan Prison in Rasht, noting that this action was taken while she is in need of medical treatment and care. Hengaw wrote: Yasamin Hashedari was arrested after visiting the Rasht Execution Office and was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht to serve her prison sentence. According to information provided to this human rights organization by informed sources, the execution of Ms. Hashedari's prison sentence was carried out while her treatment process was not fully completed. Previously, the execution of this women's rights activist's sentence had been postponed in late July due to her health condition. Yasamin Hashedari was arrested in August of last year along with 10 others during a widespread arrest of women's rights activists in Gilan and was released on bail from Lakan Prison in Rasht on September 19 of the same year. The Gilan Information Office at that time claimed without providing any evidence that the detainees intended "subversive actions." The commander of the Gilan police also claimed that "a significant amount of tools and instruments for crimes against the regime and communication devices with hostile networks were discovered and seized from the suspects' hideouts." Security agencies and the judiciary of the Islamic Republic have leveled similar accusations against political, labor, and civil activists for decades; accusations that have always been denied by these activists. In this context, 11 civil and women's rights activists in Gilan were sentenced to a total of more than 60 years in prison. A few days ago, Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur, expressed concern over lengthy prison sentences and reports of violent arrests, torture, and threats by Iranian security agents of rape and murder of these prisoners during interrogation, calling for an end to the repression of women's human rights activists. One women's rights activist in prison has contracted "atelectasis." Three other women's rights activists in Rasht were arrested to serve their prison sentences. The UN Special Rapporteur considered the threats by interrogators of "rape and murder" of six women prisoners in Iran to be alarming.