Iran: Attempts to persecute human rights defender Mehrangiz Kar by silencing her husband
Source:
Women's Learning Partnership Mehrangiz Kar, journalist and Iranian women's rights activist, who was jailed in April 2000 for her writings and speeches on women's rights, was allowed to leave Iran for medical treatment for breast cancer in autumn 2001.
After she arrived in the United
States, her husband, journalist Siamak Pourzand, disappeared. He was brought to
the phone a number of times to call Mehrangiz and their daughters Leila and
Azadeh to pass on the message that they must refrain from speaking on his behalf
and must avoid contact with the media. Realizing the more profound danger in
submitting to censorship, Mehrangiz and her daughters decided to expose the
situation and spoke freely with representatives of the media. Mehrangiz has
appeared on PBS television, and has spoken on VOA, BBC, NPR, and numerous
European radio networks in the hope that international pressure will help save
her husband. Their many attempts to get information concerning Siamak's
condition and the status of his case from various government entities and
several human rights organizations in Iran has met with failure. Respond to the
action alert initiated by the Women's Learning
Partnership.
