Update: Iran: Detained Mothers Shuffled Between Emergency Rooms and Detention Center

Authorities transferred nine of the 33 detained members of the Mourning Mothers to emergency rooms following their detention yesterday, and later took them to Vozara Detention Center in Tehran, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

The nine mothers suffer from various illnesses and were taken back to Vozara Detention Center from Sajjad and Firuzgar hospitals in Tehran.

On Sunday morning, family members and supporters of the Mourning Mothers congregated in front of the Vozara Detention Center demanding information and reasons for detaining 33 mothers. The authorities however, refused to provide any information. At around noon, an ambulance entered the detention center, causing much anxiety regarding the health of the detained mothers. 

Following the lack of any accountability from officials, a spontaneous protest in support of the detained mothers took place, in which the crowd chanted “Free the Mothers!” and blocked nearby traffic. Security forces attacked the crowd and violently dispersed it. Two passengers in a passing car who were taking pictures of the protest were detained and taken inside the detention center.

The Campaign is seriously concerned about the health of the detained mothers and holds the Iranian authorities fully responsible for their well-being. The Campaign strongly condemns the unlawful detention of the 33 mothers who are seeking accountability for the killings and disappearances of their children and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

The names of the 28 of the 33 mothers currently being held in Vozara detention Center are: Tahereh Akhshay, Zahra Afrouz, Fatemeh Farhadi, Kobra Najafpour, Zahra Atab, Sadigheh Shokri, Ziba Shekoor-Sadiqi, Mansoureh Behkish, Farideh Sahraie, Maliheh Sahraie, Touba Daralshfaie, Zari Nojavan, Fereshteh Taodoli, Masoumeh Ataar, Fatemeh Rastegar, Fatemeh Salehi, Nosrat Khaki, Soraya Jaafari, Maryam Hossein Gholizadeh, Hakimeh Shokri, Manizheh Taheri, Eshrat Khabarhassan, Mohtaram Karamad, Jila Mahdavian, Leila Seifallahi, Ansieh Bakhshay, Izedi, Tabrizi.

10 January 2010

For more information about the Mourning Mothers and the circumstances of their arrest yesterday visit: http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/01/iran-30-members-of-mourning-mothers-detained/ 

For the latest human rights developments in Iran visit the Campaign’s website at www.iranhumanrights.org

For interviews or more information:

Hadi Ghaemi, in New York: +1 917-669-5996