Free Iranian Woman Journalist, Human Rights and Civil Society Activist !

His Excellency Hojjatoleslam Sayed Mohammad Khatemi
The Presidency Office
Pasteur Avenue
Tehran 13167-43311
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-mail: [email protected]

Her Excellency Louise Arbour
High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: + 41 22 917 9022
E-mail: [email protected]

His Excellency Josep Fontelles Borrell
President of the European Parliament
Division for Correspondence with Citizens
L-2929 LUXEMBOURG
Fax: (352) 4300 27072

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the arrest of Dr. Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, the Iranian woman journalist and civil society activist, a prominent advocate of human rights and gender justice. She is currently the director of Iranian NGO's Training Center, which provides training and services for NGOs active in human rights, development and womens empowerment, and she is editor of Farzaneh, the first women's studies journal in Iran.

Dr. Abbasgholizadeh was arrested on Monday 1st November 2004 at her home. Her computer and personal belongings were confiscated and then she was taken to her office and further materials were removed. Her family, in particular her two daughters, are deeply upset and concerned about their mother's whereabouts and fate so far. Her arrest follows a wave of arrests of web-log writers and closure of on-line journals.

We express our astonishment that a woman who has served her country, has devoted her life to the improvement of women's lives and has come to be known as one of the most vocal and respected representatives of Iranian women in the international community, should be treated in this way. We are extremely worried that her arrest marks the start of a campaign against womens NGOs and their struggle for the creation of civil society organizations in Iran.

We demand that Dr. Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh be released immediately and unconditionally.

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In French / En Franзais:

Nous signataires du prйsent texte exprimons notre grande inquiйtude quant а l'arrestation et а l'emprisonnement de Madame Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, journaliste iranienne et militante ardente des droits des femmes.

Directrice du "Centre de formation des ONG iraniennes", actif sur les questions des femmes et de dйveloppement, Madame Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh est rйdactrice et co-fondatrice de la revue Farzaneh, premiиre revue d'йtudes fйminines en Iran. Elle est l'une des reprйsentantes les plus connues et les plus respectйes des femmes iraniennes.

Madame Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh a йtй arrкtйe le 1er novembre dernier а Tйhйran, et son ordinateur et ses documents ont йtй confisquйs. Ses deux filles sont extrкmement inquiиtes quant au sort de leur mиre et n'ont pas encore obtenu l'autorisation de lui rendre visite en prison. Cette dйtention intervient suite а une vague d'arrestations de journalistes et de responsables de sites Internet.

Nous tenons а exprimer notre grand йtonnement qu'une femme ayant servi son pays et consacrй sa vie а l'amйlioration de la condition fйminine et а la dйfense des droits des femmes soit arrкtйe par les autoritйs iraniennes.

Nous sommes d'autant plus soucieux que l'arrestation de Madame Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh pourrait кtre le prйlude а une offensive contre les ONG de femmes en Iran et contre leurs efforts pour organiser la sociйtй civile iranienne.

Nous demandons, par la prйsente, la libйration immйdiate et
Inconditionnelle de Madame Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh.


Azadeh Kian-Thiйbaut, Professor, University of Paris VIII, France
Homa Hoodfar, Professor, Concordia University, Canada
Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Professor, Wissenchaftskolleg zu Berlin, Germany.
Elaheh Rostami Povey, Professor, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London.
Nayereh Tohidi, Professor, California State University, USA.
Haleh Afsahr, Professor, University of York, UK
Valentine Moghadam, Professor, Illinois State University, USA
Afsaneh Najmabadi, Professor, Harvard University, USA
Nikki Keddie, Professor, University of California, USA
Dr. Soheila Vahdati, California, USA.
Dr. Mahasti Afshar, California, USA.
Shahnaz Nadjmabadi, Professor, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universitat Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
Nancy Gallagher, Professor, University of California, USA
Ali Akbar Mahdi, Professor, Ohio Wesleyan University, USA
Kazem Alamdari, Professor, California State University, USA
Asma Barlas, Professor, Ithaca College, NY, USA.
Goudarz Eghtedari, Portland State University, USA.
Bijan Pirzadeh, California, USA
Elham Gheytanchi, Santa Monica College, USA
Farah Masoumi, Irvine, USA
Kumarz Rad, California, USA
Asal Pirzadeh, California, USA
Hamid Shirazi, USA
Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, Former Prime Minister of Canada.
Leslie R. Wolfe, President, Center for Women Policy Studies,
Mark LeVine, University of California, Urvine
Chris Toensing, Middle East Report.
Farideh Farhi, Professor, University of Hawaii, USA
Zainah Anwar, Sisters in Islam, Mala
Naba S. Hamid (AlBarrak)
Laura Guzman
Christine Harris
John Mathiason
Fatou Lo
Penelope Bragonier
Mahbuba Ergasheva
Laura Guzmбn Stein
Jane Bayes, Professor, California State University, USA.
Zarrin Kallas, California, USA.
Heather H. Barahmand, UCLA, USA
Sonia Dayan-Herzbrun, Professor, University of Paris 7, France
Eleni Varikas, Professor, University of Paris 8, France
Jacqueline Thibault, Director, Surgir Foundation, Switzerland
Christian Veauvy, Professor, Maison de Science de l'Homme, Paris
Florence Rochefort, Senior Researcher, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
Anouk Guinй Professor, University of Blaise Pascale, France
Orzala Ashraf, Director of HAWCA, Afghanistan.
Chris Toensing, Editor, Middle East Report, USA
Clyde Wilcox, Department of Government, Georgetown University
Mary K. Barkley
Luz Maria Martinez, California, US.
Hifa Javad, Professor, Birmingham University, UK
Judith R. Saidel, Executive Director, Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, State University of New York at Albany
Elaine G. White, Former Vice Foreign Minister of Costa Rica

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This petition will also be sent to the following recipients:

Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Presidency Office
Pasteur Avenue
Tehran 13167-43311
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected]

His Excellency Kamal Kharazi
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected]

Head of Judiciary
His Excellency Ayatolah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi
Ministry of Justice
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 00 98 21 6405199 and 00 98 21 640 5188
Email: [email protected]

His Excellency Mohammad Javad A. Larijani
The Judiciary's Head of International Affairs
Director, Senior Fellow, Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax 009821 2719130
E-mail: [email protected]

President of Center For Women's Participation
Professor Zahra Shojaei
128 Shaheed Labafi Nejad St.
Tehran 13156
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 0098 21 640 3038
Email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Iran Department of Environment
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Dr. Massoumeh Ebtekar
Email: [email protected]

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)
E.mail: [email protected]

Iranian Students news Agency
E-mail: [email protected]

International Centre for Dialogue Among Civilisations
91 Lavasani St.
Tehran 19375
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 00 98 21 2210482
E-mail: [email protected]

The Ambassador
Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran
16, Princes Gate
London SW7 1PT
Fax: 0044 20 7 589 4440
E-mail: [email protected]

The Ambassador
Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran
Bruxelles
Belgium
Fax: 00 32 2 7623915
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

The Ambassador
Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran
Paris
France
Fax: 0033 1 407 00157
E-mail: [email protected]

Secretary, Islamic Human Rights Commission
P.O. Box 13165-137
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 00 98 21 204 0541