Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Press Release
Amnesty International Demands Freedom for All Filmmakers in Iran, Following Release of Actress, Sentenced to be Flogged
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150, [email protected] (New York) – Amnesty International today called on Iran to free all imprisoned filmmakers, following the release of an Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in prison after appearing in a banned film. The human rights organization said the continued detention of filmmakers shows the authorities “desperate effort” to stifle dissent in any form. Marzieh Vafamehr, who was arrested after starring in the Australian film, My Tehran for Sale, was released Monday night. One scene in the film shows her without the head-covering Iranian women are required to wear, while she appears…
October 27, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Demands Freedom for All Filmmakers in Iran, Following Release of Actress, Sentenced to be Flogged
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150, [email protected] (New York) – Amnesty International today called on Iran to free all imprisoned filmmakers, following the release of an Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in prison after appearing in a banned film. The human rights organization said the continued detention of filmmakers shows the authorities “desperate effort” to stifle dissent in any form. Marzieh Vafamehr, who was arrested after starring in the Australian film, My Tehran for Sale, was released Monday night. One scene in the film shows her without the head-covering Iranian women are required to wear, while she appears…
October 27, 2011
Press Release
Iran Must Acknowledge Abuses Before U.N. Committee, Says Amnesty International
The Iranian authorities will make a farce of a U.N. Committee hearing into Iran's human rights record unless they acknowledge current and past abuses, Amnesty International warned today.
October 17, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Condemns Arrest of Six Individuals — Documentary Filmmakers and a Film Producer — in Iran
Amnesty International condemns the arrest of six individuals -- documentary filmmakers and a producer -- in Iran and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. The organization said it appears the five men and one woman are being held solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression, or for their contacts with foreign media, particularly the BBC.
October 3, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Condemns Sentence Against Leading Rights Activist in Iran
The 11-year sentence handed down to leading human rights activist Narges Mohammadi is another blatant attempt by the Iranian government to crush human rights organizations, Amnesty International said today. Narges Mohammadi, the executive chairperson of Iran’s Center for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), was sentenced Tuesday after her conviction for "propaganda against the system" and membership in a group "whose object is to disturb the security of the country."
September 28, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Welcomes Release of American Hikers in Iran as “Long Overdue”
Amnesty International said today the release of two Americans held in Iran for more than two years was “long overdue” and urged that they be allowed to leave Iran promptly to be reunited with their families.
September 21, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Repeats Its Demand that Iran Free Two American Hikers, Amid Conflicting Messages on Their Possible Release From Prison
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that the imprisoned U.S. nationals Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be released within two days. However, this statement was contradicted today by the Iranian judicial authorities, who said that no decision has been made, and that any release would take “a bit longer” than the President suggested.
September 14, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Demands Immediate Release of Prominent Human Rights Lawyer Arrested in Iran
Amnesty International demanded that the Iranian authorities immediately release one of Iran’s most prominent human rights lawyers, Abdolfattah Soltani.
September 12, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Welcomes Release of 70 Prisoners in Iran; Calls for Release of All Iranian Prisoners of Conscience
Amnesty International welcomes the reported release of some 70 prisoners of conscience and political prisoners, convicted of vaguely worded “security related” charges.
September 1, 2011
Press Release
Amnesty International Again Demands that Iran Release Americans Jailed for Two Years Case of Two American Hikers Due to be Heard Again on Sunday
Amnesty International today repeated its demand that Iran release two Americans held for the past two years apparently for political reasons. On Sunday, two years to the day after their arrests, a fresh hearing is scheduled in the case of Shane Bauer and Josh Gattal, both 29.
July 29, 2011
Report
Annual Report: Iran 2011
Head of state: Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei (Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran) Head of government: Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President) Death penalty: retentionist Population: 75.1 million Life expectancy: 71.9 years Under5 mortality (m/f): 33/35 per 1,000 Adult literacy: 82.3 per cent The authorities maintained severe restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. Sweeping controls on domestic and international media aimed at reducing Iranians' contact with the outside world were imposed. Individuals and groups risked arrest, torture and imprisonment if perceived as cooperating with human rights and foreign based Persian language media organizations. Political dissidents, women's and minority rights…
June 21, 2011
Press Release
Freed Iranian Human Rights Activist Tells Amnesty International of Continuing Hunger Strike Over Prisoners’ Deaths
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150, [email protected] Freed Iranian Human Rights Activist Tells Amnesty International of Continuing Hunger Strike Over Prisoners’ Deaths (New York) -- Emadeddin Baghi, one of Iran’s most outspoken human rights activists, told Amnesty International Tuesday following his release from prison that his perspective on his freedom is subdued as many others remain unjustly imprisoned in Iran. When freed, Baghi said he told the other prisoners "although I am going, half my existence is still imprisoned with you". Baghi was released after serving two concurrent one-year jail sentences for "propaganda against the state”. One related to his founding of…
June 21, 2011