Seven Women’s Rights Activists Arrested in Iran’s Gilan Province

Iran wire-Aug 16th2023

Security agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran have reportedly arrested seven women’s rights activists across the northern province of Gilan, amid an intensifying crackdown on civil society in the country.

The activists were arrested on August 16 at their homes in the cities of Rasht, Foman and Anzali, the feminist Twitter account Bidarzani reported.

They include Mateen Yazdani, Forough Sami-nia, Yasamin Hashdari, Jelveh Javaheri, Zahra Dadras, Zohreh Dadras and Negin Rezaei.

There is no information available about their whereabouts.

The Iranian government has a long history of silencing and imprisoning women who speak out for their rights.

Anger over the suppression of human rights in Iran has boiled over since the September 2022 death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly.

The nationwide protest movement appears to have waned in recent months following a bloody crackdown by security forces, but resistance to forced hijab rules remains strong, with images of unveiled women in public spaces being widely shared on social media.