Although Iran’s Judiciary Chief claims that websites can’t be banned without a verdict from the court of justice – stating the Islamic Republic cherishes freedom of speech is a ludicrous statement considering the ever-increasing restrictions in the country – this week sees a small victory for the more reformist-minded:
Female activists in Iran scored a rare but significant victory this week when parliament decided to shelve legislation that they said would have reduced the rights of women in marriage. But on Tuesday, a court sentenced four of their leaders to prison.
The four women were sentenced to six months for contributing to banned women’s websites, Shirin Ebadi, their lawyer, told news outlets. They were identified as Mariam Hossein-khah, Nahid Keshavarz, Jelveh Javaheri and Parvin Ardalan.
Last week, Zeinab Bayzeydi, a women’s rights activist in western Iran, was sentenced to four years in prison. All five were involved in an international campaign, “One Million Signatures,” to amass petitions demanding women’s rights in the Islamic Republic.