Amnesty International demands release of lawyer in Iran
Updated: Friday, July 17, 2009
Photographer: WashingtonTV
Iranian women's right activists
17:40GMT—1:40PM/EST
Washington, 17 July (WashingtonTV)—Amnesty International on Friday called on Iran to “immediately and unconditionally” release detained lawyer and women’s rights activist, Shadi Sadr.
Sadr was arrested earlier today in Tehran by unidentified plain clothed men, as she and a group of women’s rights activists were making their way to Friday prayers.
According to a statement by the London-based group, Sadr was beaten with batons after an unsuccessful attempt to escape her captors, who pulled her into a car and took her away to an unknown location.
“This was an illegal, arbitrary and violent arrest, in which no attempt was made by the authorities to show identification or provide any explanation for their action,” said Malcolm Smart, director of the group’s Middle East and North Africa program.
“This is the latest of a continuing series of high profile arrests of Iranians – students, journalists, intellectuals, political and civil society activists – in the wake of protests over the disputed outcome of the presidential election,” he added.
Amnesty International noted that Sadr was the defense lawyer of Shiva Nazar Ahari, a human rights defender and member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, who was arrested on 14 June, two days after the disputed presidential election.
Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who led the Friday prayers today, called for the release of those detained in the aftermath of the election.
Source: Amnesty International website
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