Khadijeh Maghaddam, an activist working to end discrimination against women in Iranian law, was arrested on April 8. Three police officers forcibly entered her house and mistreated her before arresting her on charges that she spreads propaganda, disrupts public opinion, and threatens national security, according to Changes for Equality.
Maghaddam is a member of the campaign “One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws.” The campaign is a response to the peaceful protest in 2006 in Tehran to end the discrimination against women in Iranian law. Maghaddam had held meetings in her home, which the police cited as one of the reasons she was arrested.
She explained her situation to Changes for Equality, saying, “An order for bail amount of 100 Million Tomans was issued for my release (roughly $110,000). I explained that I am unable to provide such a heavy bail amount for my release, and the investigative judge told me that I will be transferred to prison for a week, after which I will provide the names of Campaign members and also the bail amount. When asked to provide my last defense, I explained that my way of life is my defense and also told the investigative judge that it is in fact the security authorities with their actions who are endangering national security.”
Feminists in Iran are frequently arrested for their activism.
