Iranian Activists Condemn Sentences Against Women's Rights Advocates

Over 350 political and civil activists have come together to denounce the heavy sentences imposed on women's rights activists in Gilan province, Iran.

The activists released a statement demanding the annulment of all verdicts and the immediate release of the imprisoned individuals.

"We, a group of women's rights activists and civil and political activists, demand the cancellation of all the sentences, the cessation of pressure on the activists, and their unconditional freedom," reads the statement.

According to the statement, the recent imposition of sentences on women's rights advocates in Gilan highlights the ongoing struggle against oppression faced by activists in the region.

Mustafa Nili, a lawyer of two of the women, revealed on March 27 that the third branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht sentenced 11 women activists to more than 60 years in prison on charges including "membership in an illegal group," and “propaganda against the system."

The signatories of the statement, comprising women's rights activists and civil and political advocates, emphatically called for the reversal of the sentences, an end to the pressure exerted on activists, and the unconditional liberation of those incarcerated.

The condemnation comes amidst a broader crackdown on dissent in Iran, with an increasing number of women, including activists, students, lawyers, and even insiders critical of the regime, facing arrest.

Rights groups such as Amnesty International have condemned the crackdowns as part of a broader effort to quash civil society in Iran.