By Jubin Katiraie
Three women’s rights activists in Iran have been summoned to the Evin Prison’s Prosecutor’s Office for questioning in the past few days, according to the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Their names are Maryam Mohammadi, Esrin Derkaleh, and Nargess Khorrami.
Agents from the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) broke into Mohammadi’s house on Sunday, June 16, combed through the house and confiscated her two cell phones. They then told her to report to the Prosecutor’s Office at Evin Prison in Tehran on Tuesday, June 18. Since Derkaleh was not home, they gave her summons to Mohammadi.
On Wednesday, June 12, intelligence agents came to Khorrami’s house and confiscated her cell phone and tablet. They also gave her a summons to appear at Evin’s Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, June 18.
The three activists are all members of the Association of Neday-e Zanan-e Iran.
Two fellow group members, Akram Nasirian and Nahid Shaqaqi, were arrested last month. Nasirian was freed on bail after spending 27 days in Ward 209 (the Intelligence Ministry ward) of the notorious Evin Prison. Shaqaqi is still incarcerated.
Female labour activists
Meanwhile, labour activist Neda Naji, who was arrested during the protests in Tehran in front of parliament on International Labour Day, some 40 days ago, was moved from Evin Prison to the notorious Qarchak Prison in Varamin on Saturday, June 15. Naji was allowed a brief call to her family to tell them about the move.
There were at least 15 female labour activists arrested during the Labor Day protest on May 1 in Tehran, including Naji, Marzieh Amiri and Atefeh Rangriz, who are the only ones known to still be in jail. Rangriz was moved to the Qarchak Prison after the authorities finished interrogating her, while Amiri was transferred to the general ward, but Naji was placed in solitary confinement.
The families of the activists have been gathering outside Evin Prison to demand the unconditional release of their relatives since May 2.
The authorities even rounded up activists prior to International Labour Day fearing protests.
