Press Release: The Observatory strongly condemns ongoing judicial harassment of Ms. Nargess Mohammadi

Paris-Geneva, July 10, 2015. TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme ofthe International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World OrganisationAgainst Torture (OMCT), expresses its grave concerns regarding the pressuresexerted on the arbitrarily imprisoned human rights defender Ms. NargessMohammadi in Iran.

Ms. Nargess Mohammadi, Spokespersonand Vice-President of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC), who wasarbitrarily arrested on May 5, 2015[1], is now facing further criminal charges andjudicial harassment while in prison. The Observatory recalls that Ms. Mohamadiwas allegedly arrested in order to serve the remainder of a 6-year prisonsentence she had commenced serving between April 21, 2012, and July 31, 2012,when she was released on bail for medical reasons.

According to the information received,the Iranian authorities had scheduled a hearing for Ms. Mohammadi on July 6,2015, before Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolution Court of Tehran. The Ministryof Intelligence had reportedly requested the judge to issue the maximumpunishment against her for the charges presented against her during a May 3,2015 hearing, including “assembly and collusion against national security” and“spreading propaganda against the State.[2]However, this hearing did not take place, and the authorities did not provideany explanation nor confirmation of whether or not it would be rescheduled.

In addition, Ms. Mohammadi continues toface infringements to her rights while in prison. On July 6, 2015, an openletter written by Ms. Mohammadi from Evin prison to the Tehran prosecutor waspublished on the Internet under the heading: “Will telephone communicationsof women prisoners with their children harm national security?” In thisletter, she complained that she was unable to contact her 9-year-old twinsbecause the prosecutor had banned all prisoners of the Women’s Ward in Evinprison from making telephone calls, despite the fact that 14 of the 22prisoners concerned are mothers, and five have children under the age of 10.

Furthermore, prison officials haverefused Ms. Mohammadi access to medicines prescribed by specialists before herimprisonment in order to treat her lung condition.

The Observatory is highly concernedabout the ongoing judicial harassment and violations of human rights againstMs. Mohammadi, which appear to be aimed at punishing her and her family for heractivities promoting human rights.

The Observatory requests that the UnitedNations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention intervene in Ms. Mohammadi’s case,and urges the Iranian authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally,and to guarantee in all circumstances her physical and psychological integrityand that of all human rights defenders in Iran. The Observatory more generallyurges the Iranian authorities to put an end to all harassment - including atthe judicial level - against all human rights defenders in Iran.

Background information

For several years now, Ms. Mohammadi hasbeen facing continuous judicial harassment related to her human rights work,including repeated summons, interrogations and trials.

On March 8, 2014, Ms. Mohammadi met thethen High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs &Security Policy, Ms. Catherine Ashton, at the Austrian Embassy during anofficial visit by Ms. Ashton to Tehran. Following this meeting, the Iranianauthorities banned Ms. Mohammadi from travelling abroad, and she has beenrepeatedly interrogated by State security agents regarding her discussions withMs. Ashton about the suppression of the civil society and the conditions ofpolitical prisoners in Iran. Since March 2014, she has received 10 summons andhas been detained twice by security agents for several hours each time.

On June 1, 2014 she was summoned to theProsecutor's Office of the Islamic Revolution Court, where she was accusedof “disturbing public opinion” and “assembly and collusion againstnational security” with reference to her participation in variousactivities, including meetings in which participants criticised thegovernment’s “Citizenship Charter” and discussed “International Women’s Day”and “the Day of Clean Air”.

In November 2014, the Observatoryexpressed fears that Ms. Mohammadi may be re-arrested on fabricated charges[3].

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OBS) was created in1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).The objective ofthis programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repressionagainst human rights defenders.

For more information,please contact:

· FIDH: Arthur Manet / Audrey Couprie: + 33 (0) 1 43 5525 18

· OMCT: Miguel Martin Zumalacarregui: + 41 (0) 22 809 4924

[1] See Observatorypress release of May 5, 2015.

[2] Ibid.

[3] See Observatorypress releaseof November 7, 2014.