PERSIAN BLOG

Iranian earthquake

2006-04-02T13:54:00.000+03:00

At least 66 people have died and nearly a thousand have been injured in a series of deadly earthquakes in western Iran which devastated more than 300 villages in the region.
BBC

Happy Persian New Year

2006-03-22T18:01:00.000+02:00

Happy Persian New Year

Iran: Police Attack Women’s Day Celebration

2006-03-11T19:36:00.000+02:00

Iranian police and plainclothes agents yesterday charged a peaceful assembly of women’s rights activists in Tehran and beat hundreds of women and men who had gathered to commemorate International Women’s Day, Human Rights Watch said today.
The attack took place shortly after participants in the celebration assembled at Tehran’s Daneshjoo Park at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.
“The Iranian authorities marked International Women’s Day by attacking hundreds of people who had peacefully assembled to honor women’s rights,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Once again, Iran’s government has signaled that it is ready to use violence to suppress peaceful public assembly of any sort.”
Eyewitnesses told Human Rights Watch that plainclothes agents, anti-riot police and Revolutionary Guards surrounded the park where hundreds of activists gathered to mark International Women’s Day.

“This was a completely peaceful gathering with no political overtones or slogans,” one participant told Human Rights Watch. “We just held up signs in solidarity with the international women’s rights movement.”

Within minutes, after agents photographed and videotaped the gathering, the police told the crowd to disperse. In response, the participants staged a sit-in and started to sing the anthem of the women’s rights movement, one participant told Human Rights Watch.

The security forces then dumped cans of garbage on the heads of women who were seated before charging into the group and beating them with batons to compel them to leave the park.
“As we started to run away and seek shelter, they followed us and continued to beat us. I was beaten several times on my arm, below the waist, and on my wrist,” an activist said.

The commander of security forces at the scene, Ghodratollah Mahmoudi, told the Iranian Labor News Agency that “this gathering was held without an official permit. The response by the security forces prevented the gathering to take on a political dimension.”

Among those present at the gathering was Simin Behbahani, a renowned Iranian poet. According to an eyewitness, “Behbahani was beaten with a baton, and when people protested that she is in her 70s and she can barely see, the security officer kicked her several times and continued to hit her with his baton.”

The security forces also took several foreign journalists into custody and confiscated their photographic equipment and video footage before releasing them.

On the previous day, March 7, the Iranian interior ministry summoned several women’s rights activists and warned them to cancel the gathering. The activists responded that the event is an annual celebration by many women’s rights groups and that they were not organizing the event.

The attack on women’s rights activists highlights the Iranian government’s consistent policy of suppressing freedom of association and assembly, Human Rights Watch said.

Since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office in August, security forces have repeatedly resorted to violence to suppress peaceful gatherings. In January, security forces in Tehran attacked and arrested hundreds of striking bus drivers who were protesting working conditions.

In February, security forces in the city of Qom used excessive force and tear gas to detain hundreds of Sufi followers who had gathered in front of their house of worship to prevent its destruction by the authorities.
Human Rights Watch . (New York, March 9, 2006)

A journalist may have made prison suicide attempt

2006-02-18T01:09:00.000+02:00

Reporters Without Borders is very concerned about a journalist on the weekly Tamadone Hormozgan, Elham Afrotan, imprisoned since 23 January 2006, after some reports obtained by the organisation said she was in a coma after a suicide attempt.

"We urge the Iranian authorities to provide information about Afrotan’s fate. We have had no news of her since the first day of her detention,” the press freedom organisation said. “She has not been allowed to see a lawyer, or her colleagues and family. We hold the Iranian government responsible for anything that might endanger her physical wellbeing,” it added.

"The case of Elham Afrotan reminds us painfully of that of another woman journalist, Zahra Kazemi, who died from torture in prison. Her death was only announced more than 20 days later,” it added.

Since her arrest on 23 January, Afrotan and six other colleagues on the newspaper have been harassed in an attempt to get them to confess that “they were receiving orders from abroad inciting them to insult the Ayatollah Khomeini".

Misled by the headline of an article on a website dedicated to combating AIDS, the staff reproduced it in the newspaper’s health section. It turned out to be a satirical piece comparing the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini to AIDS.

The journalists were arrested in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, where the newspaper is based, as soon as the issue appeared on the streets. Pro-government media, governmental organisations and Koranic schools reacted by staging demonstrations that ended with the newspaper’s offices being ransacked and torched.

According to the daily Hamabasteghi, the governor of Hormozgan province Abdolreza Shikholeslam confirmed the journalist’s “suicide" but provided no further information about her.

Elsewhere, Ali Afsahi, cinema critic and former editor of the cultural and sports magazine Cinama-Varzech, which was shut down in 2000, was arrested on 12 February.

He had previously been arrested on 30 December 2000 and sentenced to four months in prison by a special clerical court. A few days before his arrest, he had been summoned and questioned for several hours about his journalistic and humanitarian work.

Afsahi is a colleague of Emadoldin Ebaghi, journalist and founder of an organisation that champions the rights of prisoners of opinion.

Reporters Without Borders

Iran: Release Workers Arrested for Strike

2006-02-02T01:22:00.000+02:00

The Iranian government has responded to a strike planned by Tehran’s bus drivers for January 28 by preemptively detaining hundreds of drivers, including several union organizers, Human Rights Watch said today. Most of the workers remain in detention without charge or access to counsel. Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian government to release them immediately.
The bus drivers, members of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, had organized the strike to protest the detention of their union leader, Mansour Ossanlu, and to demand recognition of their trade union activities.
“Iran’s new government boasts of representing the interests of working men and women. Their violent crackdown on the bus workers’ union make these words ring hollow,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch.
The police detained Ossanlu, the director of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, at his home on December 22. Iranian security agents have since held him, without charge or access to his lawyers, at ward 209 of Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. Ossanlu is reportedly suffering from a serious eye complaint and is in need of urgent medical attention.
Shortly after news of the planned strike in response to Ossanlu’s detention, the government launched a crackdown against the union’s leadership. Gholamreza Mirzaii, the union’s spokesman, told Human Rights Watch that on January 26, security and intelligence agents arrested the union’s board of directors to disrupt the planned strike. Mirzaii said that he himself fears arrest by the authorities at any time.
The security forces also launched a pre-dawn raid on the home of Yaghub Salimi, another member of the union, on January 28. Salimi was not home at the time, but the authorities detained his wife and two children, along with the wives of two other union officials and three of their children, during the raid.
Salimi, in interviews with media outlets outside of Iran, has stated that security forces beat and intimidated his wife and children, and that his 2-year-old daughter sustained facial injuries as a result of her arrest. Authorities released his family members after Salimi presented himself to the authorities.
On the day of the planned strike, security and intelligence agents identified and detained hundreds of union sympathizers when they showed up for work in the morning. According to Mirzaii, the security and intelligence forces beat and physically intimidated the workers in connection with the arrests.
Mirzaii told Human Rights Watch that although the union has not been able to compile exact numbers, it believes that police detained more than 500 workers, who are being held in Evin Prison without charge. He said that the authorities released a small number of detainees on Sunday and Monday, though they have not been allowed to return to work and company officials have threatened to fire them.
As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Iranian government is obligated to guarantee freedom of association, “including the right to form and join trade unions.” Article 26 of the Iranian Constitution permits “the formation of parties, societies, political or professional associations.” The right to strike is recognized by Iran’s Labor Law. Article 142 of this law states that in case of a dispute between workers and employers resulting “in the stoppage of work while workers are present in the workplace or in deliberate reduction of production by the workers,” a mediation board shall investigate the dispute.
The Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company was founded in 1969, but has been inactive since 1979. The bus workers resumed their trade union activities in 2004. However, the government has refused to recognize the union.
Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian government to stop its persecution of workers and their families, not to retaliate against the workers, and to guarantee their safe return to work.

Blogger Arash Sigarchi sent back to prison

2006-01-28T20:24:00.000+02:00

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the imprisonment of blogger Arash Sigarchi yesterday, four days after he was given a three-year sentence for “insulting the Supreme Guide” and “propaganda against the regime.” Sigarchi is the author of one of the chapters in the Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-dissidents which Reporters Without Borders published last September.

Sigarchi’s imprisonment is “arbitrary” and confirms that a new crackdown on bloggers is under way, the organisation said, calling for the young man’s immediate release and urging the Iranian supreme court to reexamine his case and quash his unjust conviction.

The former editor of the daily Gylan Emroz, Sigarchi has kept a political and cultural blog (www.sigarchi.com/blog) since 2002. He was arrested and imprisoned for two months in early 2005 and was then sentenced to 14 years in prison by a revolutionary tribunal.

He was released pending the outcome of his appeal. The appeal court reduced his sentence from 14 years to three years in prison on 9 June, but he was not notified of the verdict until five days ago. He decided to petition the supreme court, but when he went to the appeal court for a copy of the ruling, he was arrested and transferred to the main prison in the town of Rashat.

When a score of people were arrested in the autumn of 2004 on suspicion of contributing to pro-reform news websites, Sigarchi criticised the harassment and mistreatment of his colleagues in his blog.

In the chapter he wrote for the Reporters Without Borders handbook, he said Internet journalism would help to promote a diversity of views. He also maintained that, within a few years, his country’s rulers would be forced to accept the free flow of information and to respect freedom of expression

Human Rights Watch ,World Report 2006

2006-01-21T14:14:00.000+02:00

Key International Actors

In 2005 the policy of the European Union towards Iran was dominated by negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programs, with human rights concerns a secondary matter. The European Union has pledged to tie Iranian respect for human rights to progress in co-operation on other issues, but so far with little impact. Australia and Switzerland also have “human rights dialogues” with Iran but have not made public any relevant benchmarks for assessing progress.

Against strenuous Iranian objections, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in November 2004, noting serious violations and the worsening of the human rights situation in Iran. However, in 2005, unlike in previous years, no resolution was introduced at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights concerning the human rights situation in Iran. Under a standing invitation issued in 2002 from Tehran to the thematic mechanisms of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression visited the country and subsequently issued reports critical of government practices. However, the government has failed to implement their recommendations, and in some cases there were reprisals, such as re-arrest, against persons who testified to the experts. In January 2005 the special rapporteur on violence against women visited Iran, and the special rapporteur on adequate housing made a visit in August. Iran has not responded to requests by the U.N. special rapporteurs on torture and on extrajudicial executions to visit the country.

Relations between the United States and Iran remain poor. President Bush in August 2005 said that U.S. military action against Iran was an “option on the table,” but the administration reportedly remains divided on this point.

Human Rights Watch ,World Report 2006

2006-01-21T14:09:00.000+02:00

Human Rights Defenders

In 2005, the authorities intensified their harassment of independent human rights defenders and lawyers in an attempt to prevent them from publicizing and pursuing human rights violations. The judiciary summoned Noble Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi in January 2005 without specifying charges against her. After she challenged her summons as illegal, and following an international outcry, the judiciary rescinded its order. In July, the authorities once again threatened to arrest Ebadi after she publicized several high-profile human rights cases. On July 30, the judiciary detained Abdolfattah Soltani, a lawyer and member of the Center for Defense of Human Rights, after Soltani and Ebadi protested the judiciary’s inaction in Zahra Kazemi’s case. No formal charges have been filed against Soltani; the judiciary appears to be using his illegal detention as a way to intimidate and silence other human rights defenders and lawyers. Prominent dissident and investigative journalist Akbar Ganji, who exposed the role of high-ranking officials in the murders of writers and intellectuals in 1998, remained imprisoned for a sixth year.

Minorities

Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities are subject to discrimination and, in some cases, persecution. The Baha’i community continues to be denied permission to worship or engage in communal affairs in a public manner. In April 2005, protests erupted in the southern province of Khuzistan, home to nearly two million Iranians of Arab descent, following publication of a letter allegedly written by Mohammad Ali Abtahi, an advisor to then-President Mohammad Khatami, which referred to government plans to implement policies that would reduce the proportion of ethnic Arabs in Khuzistan’s population. After security forces opened fire to disperse demonstrators in Ahvaz, the confrontation turned violent and spread to other cities and towns in Khuzistan. The next day, Abtahi and other government officials called the letter a fake. During the clashes, security forces killed at least fifty protestors and detained hundreds more.

In July 2005, security forces shot and killed a Kurdish activist, Shivan Qaderi, in Mahabad. In the wake of this incident protests were held in several cities and towns in Kurdistan demanding that the government apprehend Qaderi’s killers and put them on trial. Government forces put down the protests, killing at least seventeen people and detaining several prominent Kurdish journalists and activists. In October 2005, they were released on bail.

Human Rights Watch ,World Report 2006

2006-01-21T14:06:00.000+02:00

Torture and Ill-treatment in Detention

With the closure of independent newspapers and journals and the suppression of reporting on human rights abuses, treatment of detainees has worsened in Evin prison as well as in detention centers operated clandestinely by the judiciary and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The authorities have subjected those imprisoned for peaceful expression of their political views to torture and ill-treatment. Judges often accept coerced confessions. The authorities use prolonged solitary confinement, often in small basement cells, to coerce confessions (which are videotaped) and gain information regarding associates. Combined with denial of access to counsel, prolonged solitary confinement creates an environment in which prisoners have nowhere to turn to seek redress for their treatment in detention.

The judiciary issued an internal report in July 2005 admitting serious human rights violations, including widespread use of torture, illegal detentions, and coercive interrogation techniques. However, the judiciary failed to establish any safeguards, follow up on its findings, or hold any officials responsible.

Impunity

There is no mechanism for monitoring and investigating human rights violations perpetrated by agents of the government. The closure of independent media in Iran has helped to perpetuate an atmosphere of impunity.

In recent years, public testimonies by numerous former prisoners and detainees have implicated Tehran’s public prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi and his office in some of the worst cases of human rights violations. Despite extensive evidence, Mortazavi has not been held responsible for his role in illegal detentions, torture of detainees, and coercing false confessions. The case of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who died in the custody of judiciary and security agents led by Mortazavi in June 2003, remains unresolved. Lawyers representing Kazemi’s family revealed that in addition to signs of torture including fractures to her nose, fingers, and toes, Kazemi received heavy blows to her head, once during her initial detention by the head of the intelligence unit at Evin prison on June 23, 2003, and another blow during an interrogation led by Mortazavi three days later. According to autopsy reports, Kazemi died of severe blows to her head. The judiciary had accused a low-ranking Intelligence Ministry official, Reza Ahmadi, of Kazemi’s unintentional homicide, and had proceeded with a hastily organized trial held in May 2004 which cleared Reza Ahmadi of the charges. Following an appeal by lawyers representing Kazemi’s family, an appeal hearing was convened in July 2005, in which the lawyers demanded that the judiciary launch an investigation into charges of intentional homicide, but the judge refused their request. The judiciary has taken no further steps to identify or prosecute those responsible for Kazemi’s killing.

Human Rights Watch ,World Report 2006

2006-01-21T14:02:00.000+02:00

Iran
Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and opinion, deteriorated considerably in 2005. The government routinely uses torture and ill-treatment in detention, including prolonged solitary confinement, to punish dissidents. The judiciary, which is accountable to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been at the center of many serious human rights violations. Abuses are perpetrated by what Iranians call “parallel institutions”: paramilitary groups and plainclothes intelligence agents violently attack peaceful protesters, and intelligence services run illegal secret prisons and interrogation centers. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, elected in June 2005, appointed a cabinet dominated by former members of the intelligence and security forces, some of whom are allegedly implicated in the most serious human rights violations since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established twenty-six years ago, such as the assassination of dissident intellectuals.

Freedom of Expression and Opinion

The Iranian authorities have systematically suppressed freedom of expression and opinion since April 2000, when the government launched a campaign involving closure of newspapers and the imprisonment of journalists and editors. Consequently, very few independent dailies remain, and those that do self-censor heavily. Many writers and intellectuals have left the country, are in prison, or have ceased to be critical. During 2005 the authorities also targeted websites and Internet journalists in an effort to prevent online dissemination of news and information. Between September and November of 2004, the judiciary detained and tortured more than twenty bloggers and Internet journalists, and subjected them to lengthy solitary confinement. The government systematically blocks websites with political news and analysis from inside Iran and abroad. On February 2, 2005, a court in the province of Gilan sentenced Arash Sigarchi to fourteen years in prison for his online writings. In August 2005, the judiciary sentenced another blogger, Mojtaba Saminejad, to two years in prison for “insulting” Iran’s leaders.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-24T00:51:00.000+02:00

Merry Christmas
Posted by Picasa

Top Ministers Implicated in Serious Abuses

2005-12-16T01:24:00.000+02:00

Iran’s new Minister of Interior is implicated in grave human rights violations over the past two decades, possibly including crimes against humanity in connection with the massacre of thousands of political prisoners, Human Rights Watch said in a briefing paper released today.

New York, December 15 .Human Rigths watch

Journalist freed on bail after four months in prison

2005-12-01T20:28:00.000+02:00

Madh Amadi, a freelance journalist who was arrested on 28 July, was freed on bail 28 November after paying 50 million toman (45,500 euros) in bail. As a result he called off his hunger strike. He is still awaiting trial.

Reporters Without Boarders.
29 November 2005

Violence against women

2005-11-26T14:32:00.000+02:00

Violence against women and girls is a major health and human rights concern. Women can experience physical or mental abuse throughout their lifecycle, in infancy, childhood and/or adolescence, or during adulthood or older age. While violence has severe health consequences for the affected, it is a social problem that warrants an immediate coordinated response from multiple sectors.

Definition of violence against women
A group of international experts convened by WHO in February 1996 agreed that the definition adopted by the United Nations General Assembly provides a useful framework for the Organization's activities. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

This encompasses, inter alia, "physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family and in the general community, including battering, sexual abuse of children, dowry-related violence, rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women, forced prostitution, and violence perpetrated or condoned by the state."

Growing public health concern
In every country where reliable, large-scale studies have been conducted, results indicate that between 10% and 50% of women report they have been physically abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime.*
Population-based studies report between 12 and 25% of women have experienced attempted or completed forced sex by an intimate partner or ex-partner at some time in their lives.*
Interpersonal violence was the tenth leading cause of death for women 15-44 years of age in 1998.
Forced prostitution, trafficking for sex and sex tourism appear to be growing. Existing data and statistical sources on trafficking of women and children estimated 500,000 women entering the European Union in 1995.

Most studies on violence against women indicate that
the perpetrators of violence against women are almost exclusively men;
women are at greatest risk of violence from men they know;
women and girls are the most frequent victims of violence within the family and between intimate partners
physical abuse in intimate relationships is almost always accompanied by severe psychological and verbal abuse;
social institutions put in place to protect citizens too often blame or ignore battered women.

WHO .Fact sheet N°239 .Revised June 2000.

Landmark study on domestic violence

2005-11-26T14:22:00.000+02:00

WHO report finds domestic violence is widespread and has serious impact on health

The first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) study on domestic violence reveals that intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence in women’s lives - much more so than assault or rape by strangers or acquaintances. The study reports on the enormous toll physical and sexual violence by husbands and partners has on the health and well-being of women around the world and the extent to which partner violence is still largely hidden.

"This study shows that women are more at risk from violence at home than in the street and this has serious repercussions for women's health," said Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of WHO at the study release in Geneva. "The study also shows how important it is to shine a spotlight on domestic violence globally and treat it as a major public health issue."

The study is based on interviews with more than 24 000 women from rural and urban areas in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and the United Republic of Tanzania. The Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women study makes recommendations and calls for action by policy makers and the public health sector to address the human and health costs, including by integrating violence prevention programming into a range of social programmes.

The study finds that one quarter to one half of all women who had been physically assaulted by their partners said that they had suffered physical injuries as a direct result. The abused women were also twice as likely as non-abused women to have poor health and physical and mental problems, even if the violence occurred years before. This includes suicidal thoughts and attempts, mental distress, and physical symptoms like pain, dizziness and vaginal discharge. The study was carried out in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, PATH and national research institutions and women's organizations in the participating countries.

“The degree to which the health consequences of partner violence in the WHO study are consistent across sites, both within and between countries, is striking,” noted Dr Charlotte Watts, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a member of the core research team for the study. "Partner violence appears to have a similar impact on women’s health and well-being regardless of where she lives, the prevalence of violence in her setting, or her cultural or economic background."

Domestic violence is known to affect women's sexual and reproductive health and may contribute to increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. In this study, women who were in physically or sexually abusive relationships were more likely to report that their partner had multiple sexual partners and had refused to use a condom than women in non violent relationships. Women who reported physical or sexual violence by a partner were also more likely to report having had at least one induced abortion or miscarriage than those who did not report violence.

Although pregnancy is often thought of as a time when women should be protected, in most study locations, between 4% and 12% of women who had been pregnant reported being beaten during pregnancy. More than 90% of these women had been abused by the father of the unborn child and between one quarter and one half of them had been kicked or punched in the abdomen.

For policy makers, the greatest challenge is that abuse remains hidden. At least 20% of women reporting physical violence in the study had never told anyone before being interviewed. Despite the health consequences, very few women reported seeking help from formal services like health and police, or from individuals in positions of authority, preferring instead to reach out to friends, neighbours and family members. Those who did seek formal support tended to be the most severely abused.

“This is the first ever study conducted in Thailand on this issue and has made us better understand the extent of violence that women experience in our country," noted Dr. Churnrurtai Kanchanachitra from Mahidol University, and a member of the study team in Thailand. "The findings helped us to develop the national plan for the elimination of violence against women and children."

The report recommends a range of vital interventions to change attitudes and challenge the inequities and social norms that perpetuate abuse. It further recommends integrating violence prevention programming into ongoing initiatives aimed at children, youth, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive health. Health service providers should be trained to identify women experiencing violence and to respond appropriately. Prenatal care, family planning or post abortion care are potential entry points to provide care, support, and referral to other services. Schools need to be safe places, support systems for victims must be strengthened and prevention programmes put in place. Raising awareness of the problem among the general public is critical. . "Domestic violence can be prevented and governments and communities need to mobilize to fight this widespread public health problem," said WHO's Dr Claudia Garcia Moreno, Study Coordinator. "WHO will continue to raise awareness about violence and the important role that public health can play to address its causes and consequences. Globally, we need to stop the violence from happening in the first place, and to provide help and support to women who are in abusive relationships."

WHO's Global Campaign for the Prevention of Violence supports governments to develop comprehensive violence prevention programmes to address domestic violence alongside other types of violence.

24 Nov 2005 / Geneva/London

What is meant by “the right to health”?

2005-11-13T02:35:00.000+02:00

The right to the highest attainable standard of health (referred to as “the right to health”) was
first reflected in the WHO Constitution (1946) and reiterated in the 1978 Declaration of Alma
Ata and in the World Health Declaration adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1998. It has been firmly endorsed in a wide range of international and regional human rights instruments.
The right to the highest attainable standard of health in international human rights law is a
claim to a set of social arrangements – norms, institutions, laws, an enabling environment –
that can best secure the enjoyment of this right.
The most authoritative interpretation of the right to health is outlined in Article 12 of the ICESCR, which has been ratified by 145 countries (as of May 2002). In May 2000, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which monitors the Covenant, adopted a General Comment on the right to health. General Comments serve to clarify the nature and content of individual rights and States Parties’ (those states that have ratified) obligations. The General Comment recognized that the right to health is closely related to and dependent upon the realization of other human rights, including the right to food, housing, work, education, participation, the enjoyment of the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, life, non-discrimination, equality, the prohibition against torture, privacy, access to information and the freedoms of association,assembly and movement.

Further, the Committee interpreted the right to health as an inclusive right extending not only
to timely and appropriate health care but also to the underlying determinants of health, such
as access to safe and potable water and adequate sanitation, an adequate supply of safe
food, nutrition and housing, healthy occupational and environmental conditions and access to health-related education and information, including on sexual and reproductive health.

The General Comment sets out four criteria by which to evaluate the right to health:
(a) Availability. Functioning public health and health-care facilities, goods and services, as
well as programmes, have to be available in sufficient quantity.
(b) Accessibility. Health facilities, goods and services have to be accessible to everyone without
discrimination, within the jurisdiction of the State party. Accessibility has four overlapping
dimensions:
• Non-discrimination;
• Physical accessibility;
• Economic accessibility (affordability);
• Information accessibility.
(c) Acceptability. All health facilities, goods and services must be respectful of medical
ethics and culturally appropriate, sensitive to gender and life-cycle requirements, as well
as designed to respect confidentiality and improve the health status of those concerned.
(d) Quality. Health facilities, goods and services must be scientifically and medically appropriate
and of good quality.

What is the link between health and human rights?

2005-11-10T19:27:00.000+02:00

There are complex linkages between health and
human rights:
• Violations or lack of attention to human rights can have serious health consequences;
• Health policies and programmes can promote or violate human rights in the ways they are designed or implemented;
• Vulnerability and the impact of ill health can be reduced by taking steps to respect, protect
and fulfil human rights.

The normative content of each right is fully articulated in human rights instruments. In relation to the right to health and freedom from discrimination. Examples of the language used in human rights instruments to articulate the normative content of some of the other key human rights relevant to health follow:

Torture: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation.”

Violence against children: ”All appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational
measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse...” shall be taken.

Harmful traditional practices: “Effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing
traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children” shall be taken.

Participation: The right to “…active, free and meaningful participation”

Information: “Freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds.”
Privacy: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy...”
Scientific progress: The right of everyone “to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its
applications”.
Education: The right to education, including access to education in support of “basic knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantages of breast-feeding, hygiene and environmental sanitation and the prevention of accidents”.

Food and nutrition: “The right of everyone to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger…”
Standard of living: Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate
food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services.
Right to social security: ”The right of everyone to social security, including social insurance”.

Briefing note on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran - 2005

2005-11-04T23:30:00.000+02:00

The briefing note has been elaborated in view of the 60th session of the 3rd Committee of the UN General Assembly meeting, as a call for the adoption of a resolution on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Iran recalls senior ambassadors

2005-11-03T17:54:00.000+02:00

Mr Ahmadinejad is likely to appoint his own men to key positionsIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has recalled a string of ambassadors from high-profile postings .

Iran 'offers shares to the poor'

2005-11-03T17:52:00.000+02:00

The Iranian government has approved plans to offer share options to low-income families, the country's official news agency IRNA has reported.
BBC, 3 Nov

Human Rights Watch Honors Iranian Journalist and Blogger

2005-10-29T01:01:00.000+03:00

On November 8, Human Rights Watch will honor Omid Memarian, an Iranian human rights activist who has creatively used the internet to press for a more open and democratic political regime in Iran.

Wife confirms that Akbar Ganji is confined to special section of Evin prison

2005-10-25T12:36:00.000+03:00

Reporters Without Borders today reiterated its outrage at the treatment of journalist Akbar Ganji after his wife, Massoumeh Shaffii, and one of his lawyers visited him on 17 October and confirmed that he is still physically and psychologically debilitated after his hunger strike and that he has been put in a “special” wing of Tehran’s Evin prison where inmates are often tortured.

“As a journalist and prisoner of conscience, Ganji has no place in a high security wing,” the press freedom organisation said. “We again call for his immediate and unconditional release and at the same time we urge the authorities to let independent international organisations visit him at once in Evin prison to verify his condition and the torture allegations.”

Shaffii said after visiting her husband that his situation “was even worse that anything we could have imagined.” She also said he need treatment to his left shoulder.

Ever since his transfer back to Evin prison from Milad hospital on 3 September, Ganji has been in solitary confinement in this special wing. Only Revolutionary Guards can go there. Former detainees say torture sessions are common in this section of the prison.

While the uncertainty continues about the fate of Ganji, the former editor of the weekly Rah-e-No and Iran’s leading prisoner of conscience, the intelligence ministry has been summoning independent journalists and representatives of journalists’ associations for questioning.

Some have been threatened during these interrogation sessions and all have been notified of a ban on talking about the appointment of Revolutionary Guards to key positions in national and local government. Many journalists now fear that a new wave of arrests may be imminent.

from Reporters Without Boarders ,24/Oct/2005

Iran - 2005 annual report from Reporters Without Boarders

2005-10-21T13:32:00.000+03:00

Journalists thrown in jail

Iranian journalists are constantly being arbitrarily arrested and often can only win freedom by paying exorbitant bail. Thirteen journalists were imprisoned during 2004 and at the end of the year 10 were still being held.

Freelance journalist Ensafali Hedayat, working for several reformist papers, was arrested on 16 January by order of the revolutionary court in the northwestern city of Tabriz and on 11 May jailed for 18 months. At the end of the year, he was still being held at the city’s intelligence headquarters despite paying bail for his release pending his appeal against the sentence. He was in very poor condition.

Journalists are still sometimes held in the notorious Evin prison even when they are in bad health. Siamak Pourzand, 75, seriously ill and bedridden, has been there since 30 March 2003 despite a heart attack that put him in a coma for three days in March 2004. The journalist, who worked for several independent papers, was kept in solitary confinement for months and physically and psychologically tortured to get him to make a televised confession. He had been arrested in November 2001 and sentenced in May 2002 to eight years in prison for "undermining state security by having links with monarchists and counter-revolutionaries."

Mohsen Sazgara, publisher of the reformist dailies Jameh, Neshat and Tous (since suspended), was sentenced on appeal on 8 March 2004 to a year in prison. He had been jailed on 15 June 2003 and then freed on bail of six billion rials (580,000 euros) three months later. A week before his release, he was charged with "undermining national security," "insulting the Supreme Guide" and "anti-government propaganda."

Reza Alijani, editor of the monthly Iran-e-Farda and winner of the 2001 Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France Prize, learned on 1 May that his appeal against a verdict in a 2001 case had been heard in the absence of him and several colleagues accused with him. He was sentenced to four years in prison, Hoda Saber, one of the paper’s managers, to five and half years and Taghi Rahmani, of the weekly Omid-e-Zangan, to seven years. All had been held since 14 June 2003 for no official reason.

Abbas Kakavand, formerly with the hardline daily Ressalat, was arrested on 7 June for "publishing false news" in articles posted on the Internet website gooya.com attacking corruption and political payments to leading hardliners. He was freed on 10 June after paying bail of 100 million rials (11,600 euros) but awaits trial on charges arising from various complaints against him, including some by the Imam Khomeiny Foundation. A score of people suspected of working with reformist news websites, including Rouydad, blocked by Judge Mortazavi in late August, were arrested in September and October. Among them were site technicians and seven journalists - Javad Gholam Tamayomi, Omid Memarian, Shahram Rafihzadeh, Hanif Mazroi, Rozbeh Mir Ebrahimi, Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh and Fershteh Ghazi. All except Tamayomi were freed on bail in November and December but the authorities continued to hound them. Memarian, Rafihzadeh and Ebrahimi were summoned and phoned regularly by state security agents.

Babak Ghafori Azar, of the economic daily Hayat-e now, was arrested on 7 September after police searched his home. He was freed on 21 September. Rafihzadeh, culture editor of the newspaper Etemad, was also picked up on 7 September by the morality squad, a section of the Teheran police close to the intelligence ministry. Mazroi, formerly with several reformist papers, was arrested on 8 September after answering a summons to the Teheran prosecutor’s office. He was freed on 11 November after paying bail of 150 million rials (13,000 euros). The families of journalists arrested or exiled are watched and often harassed. Said Motallebi, father of Sina Motallebi, who has fled to the Netherlands, was arrested and held for nine days in September. At least 60 journalists were summoned during the year, either officially by a court, to answer complaints usually from the justice ministry, or unofficially by police or intelligence officials.

The government media launched a campaign against some journalists at the end of the year. The publisher of the daily Kayhan, Hossin Shariatmadry (in an article called "The House of the Spider") accused several journalists working in exile for the BBC, Radio Farda, Rouydad and gooya.com of belonging to a Prague-based "enemy network" and of collaborating with US intelligence agents. He also alluded, without naming them, to Mazroi, Rafihzadeh and Ebrahimi.

Shariatmadry, who has tortured and interrogated countless political detainees at Evin prison, was appointed to run Kayhan by Supreme Guide Khamenei.

Iran - 2005 annual report from Reporters Without Boarders

2005-10-21T13:31:00.000+03:00

The triumph of impunity

The judiciary showed blatant hypocrisy in the case of Zahra Kazemi, the Canadian-Iranian photographer beaten to death in prison in July 2003. She had been arrested on 23 June that year while photographing prisoners’ families outside Teheran’s Evin prison and probably died on 10 July. After trying for a week to hide the cause of her death, the authorities, under pressure from the Canada and other countries, admitted she had died while being tortured. The judiciary, also under pressure from an Iranian parliamentary enquiry, named as her killer an intelligence ministry agent who had interrogated her. He was charged but acquitted on 24 July 2004 after a sham trial. The family’s lawyer, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, had asked for court evidence from Mohammad Bakshi, a prison guard under the authority of Judge Mortazavi, and from five senior justice officials who had interrogated her. The court refused the request and the trial was hurried through in two days. The hardliners then switched back to the line that Kazemi had died "accidentally."

Iran - 2005 annual report from Reporters without boarders

2005-10-21T13:28:00.000+03:00

Since the massive crackdown in 2000 which resulted in the justice ministry closing down nearly 100 reformist newspapers supporting President Mohammad Khatami, the ruling hardliners and mullahs have hammered away at press freedom. Journalists are threatened or summoned to the justice or intelligence ministries, sometimes unofficially. Many buy their freedom by paying enormous bail that often forces their families into debt or to sell their belongings. Even then, they remain the target of prosecution or under threat of suspended jail sentences.

Parliament has been dominated since 20 February 2004 by the hardliners and President Khatami has effectively yielded power to the country’s conservative Supreme Guide, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Dangerous topics for the media to raise include relations with the United States, nuclear matters, Islam, religion, morals and dissident mullahs. The presidential elections due in mid-2005, as well as rivalry between reformists and hardliners and also within each camp make the political climate very poisonous. Journalists must walk a difficult tightrope between the shifting political divisions.

The judiciary, controlled by the hardliners, remains the chief instrument of persecuting the media. Teheran prosecutor-general Judge Said Mortazavi, the bane of all journalists, displayed exceptional hypocrisy in the case of murdered Canadian-Iranian photographer Zahra Kazemi. More than a dozen newspapers were suspended temporarily or permanently in 2004. Early in the year, eight reformist dailies - Yas-e no, Sharq, Nassim-e Sabah, Tosseh, Aftab-e Yazd, E’temad, Hambastegi and Mardomsalari - were threatened by justice authorities after they reported on a sit-in by reformist MPs in front of parliament. Mortazavi asked the culture and Islamic guidance ministry to warn the papers and accused them of "sowing discord." He also threatened on 8 February that any paper reporting on a planned boycott of the elections would be immediately suspended.

The monthly Aftab, produced since 2000 by a group of writers and intellectuals, was suspended on 11 July for "insulting the Supreme Guide" and printing "false news." A week later, the daily Vaghayeh ettefaghieh was suspended indefinitely for the same reason and also for "propaganda against the regime."

The daily Jomhuriat was suspended after only 12 issues after publisher Javad Khorami Moaghadam refused Mortazavi’s order to sack his editor, Emadoldin Baghi, a prominent reformist journalist and fervent freedom of expression campaigner.

Kurdish and Azeri-language papers were also suspended during the year for supposedly "spreading separatist ideas and printing false news." By the end of the year, only a handful of independent newspapers and magazines remained in the whole country.

Foreign journalists also had to say what they intended to report and where they wanted to go before (if they were lucky) being allowed into the country. Once in, official surveillance restricted their activities and movements. Dan DeLuce, Teheran correspondent for the British daily The Guardian, was deported in May after making an unauthorised trip to the southwestern city of Bam, where an earthquake killed 26,000 people on 26 December 2003. He returned in February 2004 to cover a visit to the city by Britain’s Prince Charles and then went again after being refused permission by the authorities to investigate the population’s anger at government reconstruction efforts.

Greece: Human rights violated on the margins of society

2005-10-09T12:43:00.000+03:00

Foreigners shot on the border, asylum-seekers detained in metal containers, Roma forcibly evicted from their homes in Athens -- these are some of the examples of consistent pattern of human rights violations, Amnesty International reveals in a report today.

The report, Out of the spotlight: The rights of foreigners and minorities are still a grey area, highlights the failure of the Greek authorities to combat discrimination.

"People living on the margins of society -- asylum-seekers, migrants, Roma and members of other minorities -- are the most likely victims of discrimination in all its forms. Most often, their tormentors are representatives of the state," Olga Demetriou, Amnesty International's researcher on Greece, said.

Amnesty International's report focuses specifically on the failure of the state to comply with international human rights law and standards regarding access to the asylum process, the detention of migrants and protection from discrimination and ill-treatment.

"Thousands of people from Albania, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere come to Greece seeking refuge. Some are shot and killed on the border, others are charged with 'illegal entry' straight away and detained without having the chance to apply for refugee protection. The conditions of detention in particular areas of the country do not adhere to international law and standards," Olga Demetriou said.

On the island of Chios the authorities have used a metal container to detain people. They have repeatedly detained others, including pregnant women and children, and failed to protect women and children who were victims of trafficking. Some migrants have been abused by police officers.

Y.S., an Iraqi national of 24, who had been arrested and detained upon entry into Greece stated: “there is no phone here and I have not spoken to my parents since I came here... they do not know whether I am dead or alive... my mother has a heart problem, and I have not been able to phone and let her know... we have not died but I wish I had." He claimed that for the first month of his detention he slept on cardboard and that people in his dormitory room had "insects" on their skin.

The report documents the mechanisms that contribute to this failure and urges the Greek authorities to meet their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of marginalized people.

Over the last two decades, Greece has rapidly transformed from a traditional emigration country to one attracting migrants, thus marking the border between the global south and the European Union. This rapid transformation has brought to the surface the inadequacies in the country's laws governing migration as well as in practices violating the human rights of refugees. Specifically, the Greece's legal framework fails to adhere to international human rights law and standards in two respects:
At no stage of the process does it provide for an independent review of a rejected application on the substance of the claim;
It lacks provisions explicitly safeguarding against the risk of refoulement.

Although there has been a sharp increase in the number of people seeking refuge, Greece has some of the lowest asylum application rates in Europe. At the same time it has some of the lowest refugee rates. According to a global overview of refugee populations in 2004 conducted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Greece has the lowest rates of refugee recognition (0.3 per cent for the first nine months of the year) and granting of protection status (0.9 per cent) out of 148 countries considered.

"The rapid transformation of Greece into a country attracting migrants cannot be an excuse for its authorities to turn their back on the needs of refugees and to ignore their international obligations," Olga Demetriou said.

Living also on the margins of society, Roma and other minority groups bear the brunt of direct or indirect discrimination. In Athens and Patras, Romani residents were forcibly evicted from their houses, taking on much of the financial burden of the resettlement themselves. Roma have also been the target of racist abuse, which in some cases the authorities have tended to overlook. Members of minorities have their rights to freedom of expression, religion and association violated due to gaps in national anti-discrimination legislation, as well as the failure by the Greek authorities to adopt relevant international legislation and standards.

"In the last few years the Greek authorities have admitted that they have not been effective enough in responding to the needs of migrants and minorities. This ineffectiveness is having a negative impact on the way these vulnerable groups are perceived and treated in the country. It is creating a climate for tolerance of racism and xenophobia within the wider Greek population," Olga Demetriou said.

"Everybody in Greece, whether a member of the majority, the minorities or a refugee must enjoy the human rights to which they are entitled. It is the responsibility of the Greek authorities to make sure that this happens."

Watch a slideshow of images related to the report

Amnesty International,10/05/2005

Lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, detained incommunicado since two months

2005-10-03T22:08:00.000+03:00

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), and the League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) reiterate their deepest concern about the situation of Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani, lawyer at the Bar of Tehran and a founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC), who has been detained in solitary confinement since July 30, 2005, at the prison of Evin, Tehran.

THE OBSERVATORY (FIDH - OMCT) - LDDHI

Geneva-Paris, September 30, 2005. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), and the League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) reiterate their deepest concern about the situation of Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani, lawyer at the Bar of Tehran and a founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC), who has been detained in solitary confinement since July 30, 2005, at the prison of Evin, Tehran.

Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested while he was taking part in a sit-in at the Bar of Tehran in order to protest against an arrest warrant issued against him by Mr. Saïd Mortazavi, Tehran Prosecutor, three days before, as well as against the search and seizure of his personal and professional belongings.

Mr. Soltani was accused of “espionage”, without any other precisions. Since the beginning of his detention, he has been denied the right to have access to a lawyer and to receive the visit of his family.

The Observatory and the LDDHI believe that his arrest is linked to the role played by Mr. Soltani in Ms. Zahra Kazemi’s trial, an Iranian-Canadian photographer who died in July 2003 from torture and ill-treatment during her detention in Iranian custody, and brought before Tehran Court of Appeal to establish the circumstances of her death and the responsible parties. On July 25, 2005, during a hearing in camera of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Soltani, lawyer of Ms. Zahra Kazemi’s family, put into question the independence and fairness of the trial, pointing out that the main officials allegedly involved in the case had not been indicted by the court, including Mr. Saïd Mortazavi.

The Observatory and the LDDHI recall that in October 2003, the Article 90 Commission of the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) released its report of enquiry into Mrs Kazemi’s death, which concluded that Prosecutor Mortazavi and other members of the judiciary were directly involved in her death, as a result of violent interrogation in Evin prison.

The Observatory and the LDDHI are deeply concerned about Mr. Soltani’s arbitrary detention, which is part of a general repressive movement against human rights lawyers by Iranian authorities. In this regard, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, after his visit in Iran in November 2003, expressed concern regarding the fact that “lawyers do not benefit from immunity from prosecution with regard to what they say in court in defence of their clients or for statements they make on a case”.

Moreover, in July 2002, Mr. Soltani had already been convicted for having underlined in his defence pleadings the fact that his clients had been subjected to ill-treatment during their interrogation. He was sentenced to four months in jail by the Court of Tehran and released in June 2003 (See Observatory Annual Report 2003).

The Observatory and the LDDHI consider that the detention of Mr. Soltani blatantly violates the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular article 1 which stipulates that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection an realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international level”, and article 9.3(c), which provides that everyone has the right “to offer and provide professionally qualified legal assistance or other relevant advice and assistance in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms”.

Because detained in solitary confinement, the Observatory and the LDDHI fear that Mr. Soltani faces increased risks of being subject to ill-treatment and acts of torture.

The Observatory and the LDDHI therefore urge the Iranian authorities to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani.

The Observatory and the LDDHI also urge them to conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and more generally, with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other regional and international human rights instruments to which Iran is a party .

For more information, please contact:
FIDH: 00 33 1 43 55 25 18
OMCT: 00 41 22 809 49 39 LDDHI : 00 33 1 40 94 14 50

From International Federation for Human Rights . 30/09/2005

The life of well-known student activist and political prisoner Ahmad Batebi is in imminent danger.

2005-09-27T02:58:00.000+03:00

We endorse the The life of well-known student activist and political prisoner Ahmad Batebi is in imminent danger. Petition to United Nations High Commission on Human Rights.

No news of Akbar Ganji for the past 25 days

2005-09-21T19:23:00.000+03:00

Noting that Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji has not been allowed any visits since his return to Evin prison from hospital on 3 September, Reporters Without Borders today voiced concern and outrage about the behaviour of the Iranian authorities towards him and their failure to keep their promises.

Ganji seems to have been placed in total solitary confinement in a special section of Evin to which only the Revolutionary Guards have access,” the press freedom organisation said. “Shutting him away like this is a flagrant violation of Iranian law, which explicitly says detainees may receive visits from their relatives and lawyers. The sole aim of the prison authorities seems to be to break Ganji completely.”

Reporters Without Borders added : “ We once again condemn of the failure of senior Iranian officials to respect their undertakings towards Ganji and his family. We have always supported negotiations with the precise objective of obtaining his release. Now, faced by the silence coming from the judicial authorities, we are resolved to press on with our campaign. The lack of any news is particularly worrying.”

Reached by telephone, Ganji’s wife, Massoumeh Shafii, said she was also very worried by the lack of news and the fact that she has not been able to visit him since 26 August.

Ganji lost at least 25 kilos in the course of a hunger which he continued for more than two months. After ending the hunger strike on 22 August, he was allowed only two weeks to recover in hospital before being sent back to prison on 3 September.

From Reporters without boarder! (20 Sep,2005)

Journalist reimprisoned after a week of freedom, held with ordinary detainees

2005-09-17T02:27:00.000+03:00

Reporters Without Borders today called for the immediate release of journalist Massoud Bastani, who was reimprisoned a week after his release on 6 August from Evin prison in Tehran and is being held in Arak prison, in the centre of the country, which is normally used for non-political prisoners.

Bastani had spent two weeks in Evin prison for covering a demonstration in support of imprisoned fellow journalist Akbar Ganji, who was on hunger strike at the time.
“It is shocking that a prisoner of conscience has been put with inmates held for ordinary crimes, as some of them could be dangerous or sick,” the press freedom organisation said. “It is also unacceptable that a journalist is being punished just for supporting a colleague who was on hunger strike, and we call on the judicial authorities in Arak to stop harassing him.”

The editor of Nedai Eslahat (a daily that was closed by the authorities in 2003) and a contributor to such pro-reform newspapers as Etemad, Toseeh and Joumhoryat, Bastani first run-in with the authorities was in 2003, when he was sentenced to six months in prison, 70 lashes and a five-year ban on practising journalism.

He wrote many reports about Ganji’s hunger strike this summer. In a 27 June release, Reporters Without Borders had commented that : “The authorities are not only content to let Akbar Ganji die, they are also arresting and harassing those who have the courage to defend him.”

Ganji’s wife, Massoumeh Shaffii, meanwhile told Reporters Without Borders by phone that she has just sent a letter to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan to coincide with the Iranian president’s visit to New York for the UN summit. Thanking Annan for requesting Ganji’s release, the letter informs him that Ganji was returned to prison on 3 September and that he is still not being allowed to receive visits.

From Reporters without borders.14 Sep 2005.

Sign a Petition to Stop Violence Against Women

2005-09-17T01:16:00.000+03:00

Help us ensure that the Violence Against Women Act is reauthorized by Congress this year. Millions of women, children and families in the United States will be better off as a result! Take action. »Stop Violence Against Women: Full coverage. »

Amnesty International .USA

Small Number of Countries Holding UN World Summit Hostage on Human Rights, Security, Poverty

2005-09-17T01:03:00.000+03:00

Human Rights Watch, Oxfam International and Amnesty International call on a small number of “spoiler” countries to stop holding the UN World Summit hostage over crucial measures on human rights, security, genocide and poverty reduction. These governments have thrown negotiations on the final outcome text into crisis just days away from the biggest meeting of world leaders in history, September 14-16 in New York.

The three organizations, alongside the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, the world’s largest anti-poverty movement, said that the actions of a small number of countries threaten to sabotage the summit. The objections of some of these states appear intended to block adoption of a meaningful agreement, rather than to strengthen the current draft or address legitimate concerns. The leading “spoilers” vary on different issues, but together their activities are seriously weakening draft agreements on the Human Rights Council, poverty-reduction and preventing genocide despite support from the majority of governments for these measures.

Oxfam is very concerned that a small number of countries are determined to block an historic draft measure on governments’ “responsibility to protect civilians” that could stop future genocides such as Rwanda from ever occurring. Countries trying to block this include India, Egypt, Algeria, Pakistan, Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Syria and Russia. The United States is also trying to weaken the measure, and is now proposing to cut “the obligation” to protect and replacing it with “the moral responsibility.”

“African governments pressing for agreement on the measure to prevent genocide are urging the world to act,” said Nicola Reindorp, head of Oxfam’s New York Office, “Yet a few spoiler governments look set to dash hopes for agreement on this life-saving move.”

The proposal to create a new Human Rights Council with more authority and that can sit throughout the year, review human rights in all countries and address all human rights situations is intended to be a key achievement of the World Summit. It has won the endorsement of an overwhelming majority of states from all regions of the world. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern, however, that some 15 countries led by Cuba and including Venezuela, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Belarus, Vietnam, and Syria, were blocking any movement on this important reform.

“The possibility that a small number of states with deeply troubling human rights records could block the creation of a more effective human rights body is not only ironic, it is disgraceful,” said Peggy Hicks, Human Rights Watch’s Global Advocacy Director.

“Millions of men, women and children are looking to this Summit for something better than a forum for horse-trading on human rights,” said Yvonne Terlingen, Amnesty International’s Representative at the UN, “Only strong and ambitious reform can overcome the power politics, double standards and selectivity that have tarnished the image of the current Commission on Human Rights. World leaders must be visionary and bold if they are not to squander this unique opportunity.”

The United States has also proposed cutting wording on poverty reduction, including on overseas development aid, education and debt relief, and removing the term “Millennium Development Goals” — the internationally agreed upon targets for halving world poverty. In addition, the United States wants to cut references to small arms controls from the outcome document.

“We are in real danger of seeing commitments made by all governments five years ago on poverty reduction being eroded at the UN World Summit,” said Kumi Naidoo, chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty. “We cannot allow developing countries to be bullied into agreeing to an outcome that will fail the majority of the world’s people.”

Notes to editors: Responsibility to Protect: This measure would involve governments agreeing that they share the responsibility to protect civilians at risk of genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes, when the government of the people concerned is unwilling or unable to do so. Countries trying to block the measure include Egypt, Algeria, Pakistan, Venezuela, India, Russia, Cuba, Iran, and Syria. The United States does not want to be obliged to act in all such cases. The majority of states including the African Group, the European Union, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Canada support endorsement at the Summit of the ‘Responsibility to protect.’

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is the world’s largest anti-poverty coalition, whose organizations together represent more than 150 million people globally. The campaign is aiming to make a breakthrough on poverty in 2005 and is calling for world leaders to “wake up” and take concrete steps at the United Nations to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and end poverty once and for all.

The Millennium Development Goals are eight targets agreed by over 190 governments in 2000 to help eradicate poverty through action by developed and developing countries. They focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other preventable diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. The first Millennium Development Goal, on getting an equal number of girls into school as boys by 2005, has already been missed.

From Human Right Watch .(New York, September 5, 2005)

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

2005-09-10T21:47:00.000+03:00

Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assemblyresolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 .entry into force 3 January 1976, in accordance with article 27

Preamble

The States Parties to the present Covenant,
Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Recognizing that these rights derive from the inherent dignity of the human person,

Recognizing that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of free human beings enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights, as well as his civil and political rights,

Considering the obligation of States under the Charter of the United Nations to promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and freedoms,

Realizing that the individual, having duties to other individuals and to the community to which he belongs, is under a responsibility to strive for the promotion and observance of the rights recognized in the present Covenant,

Agree upon the following articles:

PART I
Article 1

1. All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

2. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.

3. The States Parties to the present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

PART II

Article 2

1. Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to take steps, individually and through international assistance and co-operation, especially economic and technical, to the maximum of its available resources, with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the rights recognized in the present Covenant by all appropriate means, including particularly the adoption of legislative measures.

2. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to guarantee that the rights enunciated in the present Covenant will be exercised without discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

3. Developing countries, with due regard to human rights and their national economy, may determine to what extent they would guarantee the economic rights recognized in the present Covenant to non-nationals.

Article 3

The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to ensure the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights set forth in the present Covenant.

Article 4

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize that, in the enjoyment of those rights provided by the State in conformity with the present Covenant, the State may subject such rights only to such limitations as are determined by law only in so far as this may be compatible with the nature of these rights and solely for the purpose of promoting the general welfare in a democratic society.

Article 5

1. Nothing in the present Covenant may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights or freedoms recognized herein, or at their limitation to a greater extent than is provided for in the present Covenant.

2. No restriction upon or derogation from any of the fundamental human rights recognized or existing in any country in virtue of law, conventions, regulations or custom shall be admitted on the pretext that the present Covenant does not recognize such rights or that it recognizes them to a lesser extent.

PART III
Article 6

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right to work, which includes the right of everyone to the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts, and will take appropriate steps to safeguard this right.

2. The steps to be taken by a State Party to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include technical and vocational guidance and training programmes, policies and techniques to achieve steady economic, social and cultural development and full and productive employment under conditions safeguarding fundamental political and economic freedoms to the individual.

Article 7

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work which ensure, in particular:

(a) Remuneration which provides all workers, as a minimum, with:

(i) Fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal value without distinction of any kind, in particular women being guaranteed conditions of work not inferior to those enjoyed by men, with equal pay for equal work;

(ii) A decent living for themselves and their families in accordance with the provisions of the present Covenant;

(b) Safe and healthy working conditions;

(c) Equal opportunity for everyone to be promoted in his employment to an appropriate higher level, subject to no considerations other than those of seniority and competence;

(d ) Rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay, as well as remuneration for public holidays

Article 8

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to ensure:

(a) The right of everyone to form trade unions and join the trade union of his choice, subject only to the rules of the organization concerned, for the promotion and protection of his economic and social interests. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those prescribed by law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public order or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others;

(b) The right of trade unions to establish national federations or confederations and the right of the latter to form or join international trade-union organizations;

(c) The right of trade unions to function freely subject to no limitations other than those prescribed by law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public order or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others;

(d) The right to strike, provided that it is exercised in conformity with the laws of the particular country.

2. This article shall not prevent the imposition of lawful restrictions on the exercise of these rights by members of the armed forces or of the police or of the administration of the State.

3. Nothing in this article shall authorize States Parties to the International Labour Organisation Convention of 1948 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize to take legislative measures which would prejudice, or apply the law in such a manner as would prejudice, the guarantees provided for in that Convention.

Article 9

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to social security, including social insurance.

Article 10

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize that:

1. The widest possible protection and assistance should be accorded to the family, which is the natural and fundamental group unit of society, particularly for its establishment and while it is responsible for the care and education of dependent children. Marriage must be entered into with the free consent of the intending spouses.

2. Special protection should be accorded to mothers during a reasonable period before and after childbirth. During such period working mothers should be accorded paid leave or leave with adequate social security benefits.

3. Special measures of protection and assistance should be taken on behalf of all children and young persons without any discrimination for reasons of parentage or other conditions. Children and young persons should be protected from economic and social exploitation. Their employment in work harmful to their morals or health or dangerous to life or likely to hamper their normal development should be punishable by law. States should also set age limits below which the paid employment of child labour should be prohibited and punishable by law.

Article 11

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent.

2. The States Parties to the present Covenant, recognizing the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, shall take, individually and through international co-operation, the measures, including specific programmes, which are needed:

(a) To improve methods of production, conservation and distribution of food by making full use of technical and scientific knowledge, by disseminating knowledge of the principles of nutrition and by developing or reforming agrarian systems in such a way as to achieve the most efficient development and utilization of natural resources;

(b) Taking into account the problems of both food-importing and food-exporting countries, to ensure an equitable distribution of world food supplies in relation to need.

Article 12

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

2. The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for:

(a) The provision for the reduction of the stillbirth-rate and of infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child;

(b) The improvement of all aspects of environmental and industrial hygiene;

(d) The creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness.

Article 13

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to education. They agree that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They further agree that education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society, promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations and all racial, ethnic or religious groups, and further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

2. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize that, with a view to achieving the full realization of this right:

(a) Primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all;

(b) Secondary education in its different forms, including technical and vocational secondary education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education;

(c) Higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education;

(d) Fundamental education shall be encouraged or intensified as far as possible for those persons who have not received or completed the whole period of their primary education;

(e) The development of a system of schools at all levels shall be actively pursued, an adequate fellowship system shall be established, and the material conditions of teaching staff shall be continuously improved.

3. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to choose for their children schools, other than those established by the public authorities, which conform to such minimum educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State and to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.

4. No part of this article shall be construed so as to interfere with the liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and direct educational institutions, subject always to the observance of the principles set forth in paragraph I of this article and to the requirement that the education given in such institutions shall conform to such minimum standards as may be laid down by the State.

Article 14

Each State Party to the present Covenant which, at the time of becoming a Party, has not been able to secure in its metropolitan territory or other territories under its jurisdiction compulsory primary education, free of charge, undertakes, within two years, to work out and adopt a detailed plan of action for the progressive implementation, within a reasonable number of years, to be fixed in the plan, of the principle of compulsory education free of charge for all.

Article 15

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone:

(a) To take part in cultural life;

(b) To enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications;

(c) To benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

2. The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for the conservation, the development and the diffusion of science and culture.

3. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to respect the freedom indispensable for scientific research and creative activity.

4. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the benefits to be derived from the encouragement and development of international contacts and co-operation in the scientific and cultural fields.

Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners

2005-09-10T21:11:00.000+03:00

1. All prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings.

2. There shall be no discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

3. It is, however, desirable to respect the religious beliefs and cultural precepts of the group to which prisoners belong, whenever local conditions so require.

4. The responsibility of prisons for the custody of prisoners and for the protection of society against crime shall be discharged in keeping with a State's other social objectives and its fundamental responsibilities for promoting the well-being and development of all members of society.

5. Except for those limitations that are demonstrably necessitated by the fact of incarceration, all prisoners shall retain the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and, where the State concerned is a party, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto, as well as such other rights as are set out in other United Nations covenants.

6. All prisoners shall have the right to take part in cultural activities and education aimed at the full development of the human personality.

7. Efforts addressed to the abolition of solitary confinement as a punishment, or to the restriction of its use, should be undertaken and encouraged.

8. Conditions shall be created enabling prisoners to undertake meaningful remunerated employment which will facilitate their reintegration into the country's labour market and permit them to contribute to their own financial support and to that of their families.

9. Prisoners shall have access to the health services available in the country without discrimination on the grounds of their legal situation.

10. With the participation and help of the community and social institutions, and with due regard to the interests of victims, favourable conditions shall be created for the reintegration of the ex-prisoner into society under the best possible conditions.

11. The above Principles shall be applied impartially.

Human Rights Library,G.A. res. 45/111, annex, 45 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49A) at 200, U.N. Doc. A/45/49 (1990).

Think about Akbar Ganji!

Gender Equality

2005-09-03T23:14:00.000+03:00

Gender equality is one of the important tasks these days. Read the following article about Gender equality in Sweden ,and compare you’r your country with Sweden!

Gender Equality in Sweden – a summary

Today, gender equality policy in Sweden proceeds from an understanding that the unequal distribution of power between women and men is sustained by what is known as the gender-based power structure in society. The theory concerning this structure helps explain the lack of gender equality.

Gender-based power structure The gender-based power structure could be said to explain why our society lacks gender equality and why this imbalance persists despite measures to correct it. The presence of a gender-based power structure means, for instance, that society has the following characteristics:
8 The separation of the sexes
8 Men are considered superior and women inferior
8 Men are considered the norm
The separation of the sexes may be illustrated by the sex segregated labour market and the unequal division of unpaid work in the home. Male superiority is expressed in such things as men’s violence against women or men being paid more, having more power over their own lives and wielding more influence in public life. The male norm may be illustrated by the fact that new medicines (even for women) are usually tested only on men. It is also evident in such mundane things as our tendency to say ‘women’s football’ but not ‘men’s football’. If we do not succeed in breaking down the present gender-based power structure we will fail to achieve a gender equal society. The gender-based power structure is about the structural differences in society, and is not a description of differences between individuals.

Aims and objectives of Swedish gender equality policy
The principal aim of the Swedish Government’s gender equality policy is for women and men to have the same opportunities, rights and responsibilities in all areas of life. To achieve this aim requires both a strategy for how gender equality efforts are to be pursued and an organizational structure that meets the requirements of a society capable of guaranteeing equal opportunity. An active gender policy must also be knowledge-based and proceed from an analysis of the causes of gender inequality. Since 1994 gender statistics are a part of Sweden’s Official Statistics.

Policy goals
The overall aim of Sweden’s gender equality policy is for women and men to have the same opportunities, rights and responsibilities in all areas of life. This implies for example:
8 equal distribution of power and influence between women and men
8 the same opportunities for women and men to achieve economic independence
8 equal conditions and opportunities in respect of entrepreneurship, jobs, terms of work, employment, and advancement prospects at work
8 equal access to education and training and equal opportunities for developing personal ambitions, interests and talents
8 shared responsibility for children and the home
8 freedom from sexual (gender-related) violence.

A twofold strategy – Gender mainstreaming and focus areas
Gender mainstreaming is the principal model for gender equality work in Sweden. Each minister is responsible for fulfillment of the gender equality goals in his or her specific area. The Minister of Gender Equality coordinates this government policy. A gender equality perspective is to be incorporated at all levels and in all stages in the decision making process. Applying gender mainstreaming to public activities and policy-making brings light to the areas where special initiatives are needed most. Although gender equality policy must be broadly based, a set of priorities – which may vary from time to time – must be defined. Five focus areas, which will be highlighted during the Government’s term of office, have been identified.

1. Representation - equal access to positions of power and influence
One of the goals of Swedish gender equality policy is equal access by women and men to positions of power and influence. Equal representation of women and men in decision-making bodies is central to democracy. Both sexes must be represented in all areas of society and at all decision-making levels if they are to have an equal say in the development of their society. Equality of influence also ensures a broader basis for decision with regard to social policy issues. As a result of purposeful, focused efforts to enhance women’s power and influence within the community, Sweden is now a world leader in terms of the proportion of women representatives in directly elected political bodies. This applies at national, regional and local government level.

2. Equal pay for equal work and work of equal value
Women must be able to support themselves if they are to enjoy true freedom and independence. This ability is thus a fundamental condition of gender equality. The pay gap is mainly due to the traditional segregation of the labour market, where ‘female occupations’ in the public sector and the care and social services are particularly low-paid. Measures against gender-based pay differentials have been called for under the terms of the Gender Equality Act, however, the Act has failed to make inroads into structural pay differentials caused by value discrimination, i.e. the practice of rating jobs differently according to whether they are traditionally male- or female-dominated.

3.Violence committed by men against women, prostitution and trafficking in women for purposes of sexual exploitation
Violence committed by men against women constitutes a violation of their human rights and fundamental freedoms and impairs or nullifies their enjoyment of these rights and freedoms. It is also a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between women and men.Sweden has special legislation concerning male violence against women; gross violation of a woman’s integrity. This offence is defined as repeated punishable acts directed by the perpetrator at a women with whom he has a close relationship. In Sweden prostitution is regarded as a form of sexualized violence by men against women. If men did not consider it their right to buy and sexually exploit women and children, prostitution and trafficking in human beings for sexual purposes would not occur. The criminalization of the purchase of sexual services, in January 1999, constitutes implicit recognition that prostitution is a form of oppression of women and children and a serious social problem with damaging consequences for the individual victims and for society as a whole.

4. Men and gender equality
According to the gender-based power structure men are the norm. Efforts to promote gender equality have long focused on women, the subordinate sex in this system. But equality is about women and men having the same rights, responsibilities and opportunities. The creation of a gender equal society will not be achieved unless men and women work together to transform the conditions that govern the lives of both sexes.The inclusion of men in gender equality work raises issues which are furnishing new insights into the future development of gender equality. A growing interest in gender equality among men has put new perspectives on the issue.Research into men and masculinity will help increase our knowledge of the subject and is an important factor in efforts to bring about change. More men must be actively engaged in gender equality work and be prepared to openly oppose violence committed by men against women if we are to achieve a gender equal society.

4. Sexualisation of the public sphere
The increasing use of women’s bodies to draw attention to and sell goods or services is testimony to the growing sexualisation of modern society. Women and girls are objectified and sexualized in advertisements, in the mass media and on the Internet. Men are also portrayed in these media in ways that reflect prevailing gender prejudices, thus helping to create and perpetuate male stereotypes.Constant exposure to these images clearly contributes to their normalization, to a blunting of sensibilities and the dangerous prospect of growing inured to sexual oppression, harassment and sexualized violence. This is a worrying development which poses a serious obstacle to the achievement of gender equality.The situation gives cause for concern and a great deal more knowledge is needed.

Developments in gender equality since the 1970s*

8 Women and men do not have to choose between paid work and children – they can have both.
8 Today women work equally in the public and the private sector while men work predominantly in the private sector.
8 Women combine paid work with care of children and the home to a larger extent than men.
8 Men combine paid work with economic, political and union power to a larger extent than women.
8 Directly elected political assemblies have an equal representation of women and men – indirectly elected assemblies do not.
8 The upper secondary school system and higher education are still sex-segregated.
8 The labour market is still sex-segregated.
8 Salary differences remain
8 Men have higher pensions than women.
Some important facts*
8 The proportion of women aged 20–64 in the labour force was 60% in 1970 and 79% in 2003. The corresponding proportions for men were 90% and 84% respectively.
8 The proportion of children aged 1–6 in municipal child care was 12% in 1972 and 83% in 2003.
8 In 1974, men accounted for 0% of days for which a parental allowance for caring of young children was paid, in 2003 for 17%.
8 The sex distribution among parliament members in 1973 was 15% women and 85% men. In 2002, the sex distribution was 45% women and 55% men.
Progress so far*
1845 Equal inheritance rights for women and men.
1864 Husbands lose legal right to strike their wives.
1921 Women gain national suffrage and the right to hold office at the national level.
1938 Maternity allowance established.
1947 First woman Cabinet Minister: Karin Kock.
1951 Women entitled to retain their Swedish citizenship upon marriage to foreign citizens.
1955 Three months paid maternity leave for working women on birth of child.
1971 Separate income tax assessment for wife and husband.
1974 Parents entitled to share parental allowances upon childbirth.
1975 New abortion law: a woman has the right to decide until the 12th week.
1980 Law against sex discrimination in employment;
1982 All assault and battery against women even if committed on private property subject to public prosecution.
1994 Gender statistics made part of Sweden’s Official Statistics.
1995 At least one month of parental leave must be used by mother and one by father (“mummy/daddy month”);1998 Act on Violence against Women (amendment of Penal Code);
1999 Law prohibiting the purchase of sexual services.
2002 Parental leave: Number of days increases with 30 sickness benefit days to 480 days, 60 of which are reserved for each parent and cannot be transferred.
2004 The Swedish Government adopts a strategy for the integration of gender equality into the Government offices.

You can Order material via the website:
http://www.sweden.gov.se/ Click “Publications” in the left-hand column. Or use the direct link: http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/574

Human rights and medical care for survivors of rape

2005-09-03T20:07:00.000+03:00

Rape is a form of sexual violence, a public health problem and a human rights violation. Rape in war is internationally recognized as a war crime and a crime against humanity, but is also characterized as a form of torture and, in certain circumstances, as genocide. All individuals, including actual and potential victims of sexual violence, are entitled to the protection of, and respect for, their human rights, such as the right to life, liberty and security of the person, the right to be free from torture and inhuman, cruel or degrading treatment, and the right to health. Governments have a legal obligation to take all appropriate measures to prevent sexual violence and to ensure that quality health services equipped to respond to sexual violence are available and accessible to all.
Health care providers should respect the human rights of people who have been raped.

Right to health: Survivors of rape and other forms of sexual abuse have a right to receive good quality health services, including reproductive health care to manage the physical and psychological consequences of the abuse, including prevention and management of pregnancy and STIs. It is critical that health services do not in any way "revictimize" rape survivors.

Right to human dignity: Persons who have been raped should receive treatment consistent with the dignity and respect they are owed as human beings. In the context of health services, this means, as a minimum, providing equitable access to quality medical care, ensuring patients' privacy and the confidentiality of their medical information, informing patients and obtaining their consent before any medical intervention, and providing a safe clinical environment. Furthermore, health services should be provided in the mother tongue of the survivor or in a language she or he understands.

Right to non-discrimination: Laws, policies, and practices related to access to services should not discriminate against a person who has been raped on any grounds, including race, sex, colour, or national or social origin. For example, providers should not deny services to women belonging to a particular ethnic group.

Right to self-determination: Providers should not force or pressure survivors to have any examination or treatment against their will. Decisions about receiving health care and treatment
(e.g. emergency contraception and pregnancy termination, if the law allows) are personal ones that can only be made by the survivors herself. In this context, it is essential that the survivor receives appropriate information to allow her to make informed choices. Survivors also have a right to decide whether, and by whom, they want to be accompanied when they receive information, are examined or obtain other services. These choices must be respected by the health care provider.

Right to information: Information should be provided to each client in an individualized way. For example, if a woman is pregnant as a result of rape, the health provider should discuss with her all the options legally available to her (e.g. abortion, keeping the child, adoption). The full range of choices must be presented regardless of the individual beliefs of the health provider,
so that the survivor is able to make an informed choice.

Right to privacy: Conditions should be created to ensure privacy for people who have been sexually abused. Other than an individual accompanying the survivor at her request, only people whose involvement is necessary in order to deliver medical care should be present during the examination and medical treatment.

Right to confidentiality: All medical and health status information related to survivors should be kept confidentialand private, including from members of their family. Health staff may disclose information about the health of the survivor only to people who need to be involved in the medical examination and treatment, or with the express consent of the survivor. In cases where a charge has been laid with the police or other authorities, the relevant information fromthe examination will need to be conveyed .

Health care providers, in collaboration with workers in other sectors, may play a role in the broader community, by identifying and advocating for interventions to prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence, and to promote and protect the rights of survivors. Lack of recognition of rape as a health issue, and non-enforcement of legislation against rape, prevent any real progress towards gender equality.

(WHO , Clinical Management of Rape Survivors )

Iran: Further information on: Medical concern/Fear for safety/incommunicado detention, Akbar Ganji

2005-08-29T16:52:00.000+03:00

Amnesty International asked for Urgent action about Akbar Ganji in 23 August 2005 !

They mentioned that :

Prisoner of conscience Akbar Ganji has reportedly ended his two-month hunger strike. His wife, Massoumeh Shafii, was allowed to visit him on 21 August in the Milad hospital in the capital Tehran for the first time in almost three weeks. She said that Akbar Ganji was in "fair health" and was eating soup and stewed fruit. He is at risk of being returned to Evin prison when he leaves hospital, to serve the remainder of his six-year sentence. He is still demanding his unconditional release.

Akbar Ganji was arrested in April 2000, together with 17 other Iranian journalists and intellectuals who had taken part in a cultural conference in Berlin. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, which was reduced on appeal to six months, for "taking part in an attempt against national security" and "propaganda against the Islamic system" .In July 2001 he was tried on charges of "collecting confidential state documents to jeopardize state security" and "spreading propaganda", and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. In 2000 he wrote a series of articles, which were later published as a book, in which he implicated several high-ranking officials in the 1998 murders of several prominent writers and political activists, in what became known as the "serial murders" case.

Amnesty International mentioned that many thanks to all who sent appeals on behalf of Akbar Ganji. Amnesty International will continue to monitor his case, and will take further action as necessary. If possible, they asked send a final round of appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Persian, Arabic or your own language:

- welcoming reports that Akbar Ganji has ended his hunger strike and that his health is improving;

- welcoming reports that Akbar Ganji has been granted access to his family;

- seeking confirmation that he is allowed to meet his lawyer, and that these meetings are confidential;

- calling for Akbar Ganji to be released unconditionally, as he is a prisoner of conscience, arrested solely for the peaceful expression of his beliefs.

APPEALS TO: (It may be difficult to get through to Iranian fax numbers, but please keep trying)

Leader of the Islamic Republic .

His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei.

The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of IranFax: + 98 21 649 5880

(please mark ‘For the attention of the Office of His Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei)Email: info@wilayah.org

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: irjpr@iranjudiciary.org (mark 'Please forward to HE Ayatollah Shahroudi')

Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Speaker of Parliament

Gholamali Haddad Adel

Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami (Parliament)Imam Khomeini Avenue, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: + 98 21 646 1746

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

Amnesty International mentioned that ;PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 4 October 2005.********

Refugees have rights - Questions & Answers

2005-08-29T16:23:00.000+03:00

Who is a refugee?

More than 140 governments have now signed the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (the Refugee Convention). This Convention includes an internationally agreed definition of who is a refugee. A refugee is a person who is outside her country of origin and genuinely risks serious human rights abuses because of who she is or what she believes. She cannot or will not return because her government cannot or will not protect her. Because of the persecution she would face, a refugee is entitled to be protected against forcible return to her country of origin. Even if she is not a refugee, Amnesty International (AI) would also oppose the forcible return of anyone to a country where she can reasonably be expected to be in danger of torture, execution or “disappearance”. Likewise, AI opposes return to a country where a person faces the death penalty.

What are her rights?

Like anyone else, refugees have human rights. They also have rights because they are refugees. These rights include:
Protection against discrimination
Freedom of religion
Identity and travel documents
Work rights
Housing, education and relief
Protection against penalties for illegal entry
Freedom of movementRefugees should have access to a durable solution, which may be local integration in her country of asylum, resettlement to another country, or voluntary repatriation to her country of origin. Voluntary return should be safe and dignified and with full respect for human rights because history has shown that if a situation in a country is not stable, this will lead to people being forced to leave their homes again.

Who is an asylum seeker?

An asylum-seeker is a person who is seeking protection as a refugee even though she may not have been formally recognised as one. It normally applies to a person who is still waiting for the government to decide whether she is a refugee. The lack of a formal recognition does not make her any less entitled to protection of international refugee law.

1.To ensure that refugees are able to access their rights, AI works to ensure that asylum-seekers
2.are not prohibited from entering a country to seek asylum;
3.have access to fair procedures for determining whether they are refugees;
4.are not detained (unless they have been charged with a recognizably criminal offence);
can contact family, friends, lawyers, interpreters and organisations that can help them (UN High Commissioner for Refugees - UNHCR);

5.have access to basic economic, social and cultural rights, for example work, education, and social assistance.

Do asylum seekers have rights?

Yes - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) sets out everyone’s basic human rights. Article 14 (1) says that “Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”.

Because they may in fact be refugees, asylum-seekers should enjoy the same rights as refugees unless they are found not to be refugees. They therefore have rights under the Refugee Convention.

AI does not oppose return of rejected asylum seekers if they have had access to a fair and satisfactory asylum procedure and their return can take place in safety, dignity and with full respect for human rights.[link to Afghan Returns reports]

Who is a migrant?

A migrant is simply a person who moves from one place to another. They may be forced to leave because they are afraid, starving, or desperate for the safety and security of their family. They may move voluntarily. They may leave for a whole mixture of reasons.

Do migrants have rights?

Yes - Migrants are human beings, so they have human rights like the right to life, to freedom from arbitrary detention, freedom from torture, and to an adequate standard of living. There are some international legal standards which are specific to the rights of migrant workers, like Conventions of the International Labour Organization. AI welcomes that the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families entered into force on 1 July 2003. This is an important recognition that migrants’ rights must also be respected and protected.

Who is an Internally Displaced Person (IDP)?

An internally displaced person is a person who has had to flee one part of a country to another. The main difference between an IDP and a refugee is that a refugee has crossed an international border. Like refugees, IDPs leave because of problems like war, ethnic cleansing, religious persecution, or famine. Sometimes IDPs go on to ask for refugee status in another country because they could not find safety in their own.

Do internally displaced persons have rights?

Yes - Internally displaced persons are human beings, so they have human rights. Although their government is obliged to protect their human rights, one of the problems that IDPs have is that their government cannot or will not protect them. To make it clear that IDPs have rights, and to remind governments of their obligations to protect IDPs, the UN developed Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Although they are not binding in the same way that a treaty is, they draw on human rights law, humanitarian law (the law of war), and refugee law.

Facts and figures

Current estimates are that there are 175 million migrants in the world, which is roughly 2.8% of the world’s population, currently estimated to be 6.3 billion. There is an estimated 10.6 million refugees in the world, or roughly 0.17% of the world’s population. And numbers of internally displaced persons are currently estimated to be around 25.8 million, 0.4% of the world’s population.

The majority of refugees and IDPs are in Asia and Africa, which between them host a total of 9.2 million refugees and 18.1 million IDPs.

What does Amnesty International do to protect the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers, migrants and IDPs?

AI does research and advocacy for the protection and promotion of the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and IDPs. We work towards securing their fundamental rights and to improving and maintaining the quality of protection of people who are entitled to it. We do this by exposing human rights abuses and protection failures, advocating policy and legal changes, and sometimes through taking action on individual cases or issues.

AI has a global network of Refugee Coordinators in more than 50 countries who take action on some individual cases or issues, lobby their own governments for changes in laws and policies and work with other non-government organisations to promote the protection of the rights of asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and IDPs.

The staff at the International Secretariat in London and Geneva work towards influencing international policy and standard setting, as well as advocating for the effective implementation of international standards, policies and guidelines in a way that respects the human rights of asylum-seekers, refugees, migrants and IDPs.

Refugee Coordinators, the International Secretariat as well as UN offices in Geneva, New York and an EU office in Bruxelles work towards an overall strengthening of the international protection framework. This includes calling on states to share responsibility for protecting refugees.

Amnesty International does not represent individual asylum-seekers or refugees, but sometimes takes action in individual cases. If Amnesty International does not actively support a particular case it does not necessarily mean that the organisation believes that the person or persons concerned is not deserving of protection as a refugee. Asylum-seekers, lawyers, and decision-makers often use country information and analysis from AI reports during asylum procedures.

Amnesty International.

Refugee sues Australia government

2005-08-29T16:12:00.000+03:00

A 10-year-old Iranian boy has launched a landmark legal case against the Australian government.

Shayan Badraie claims his time in refugee detention camps caused catastrophic mental health problems.
He is the first refugee to seek compensation for the experience of being detained in Australia.
Nearly 4,000 children have been held in Australia's refugee detention camps in the past five years, and this case is likely to be the first of many.
Through his father Mahommad Saeed Badraie, Shayan is suing the Immigration Department and two detention centre operators.
"This case is not about the policy of mandatory detention," his lawyer Andrew Morrison told the New South Wales Supreme Court in Sydney on Monday.
"It is about the way in which it was carried out, and the permanent injury inflicted on a young child by a regime which failed to provide for his medical needs," Mr Morrison is quoted as saying.
Harsh conditions
The Badraie family arrived among a boatload of refugees in early 2000, when Shayan was five.
Authorities put the family behind the razor-wire fences of a remote detention camp in the outback.
According to his lawyers, Shayan saw riots broken up with tear gas and water cannons, watched as people tried to commit suicide and was exposed to hunger strikes at the camp.
He endured conditions that no child nor human being should be expected to cope with, his lawyers say.
His parents claim Shayan has a condition which leaves him sitting in silence for days, refusing to eat or drink, and he frequently needs hospital treatment to survive.
Three years ago, the Australian Human Rights Commission ruled that Shayan's detention was unjust.
The body recommended the government pay compensation and the costs of psychiatric treatment - but the government declined.

BBC NEWS,Monday, 29 August 2005 .

Why make a special case for children? ( Children Rights)

2005-08-20T15:34:00.001+03:00

“To look into some aspects of the future, we do not need projections by supercomputers. Much of the next millennium can be seen in how we care for our children today. Tomorrow's world may be influenced by science and technology, but more than anything, it is already taking shape in the bodies and minds of our children.” – Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations .

The world community in the earliest declarations of human rights recognized the priority that should be accorded to protecting children's rights. Of course, governments must be sensitive to the rights of all their citizens – not just to those of children. But there are strong reasons for making a special case for children's rights:

Children are individuals. They have equal status with adults as members of the human family. Children are neither the possessions of parents nor of the state, nor are they mere people-in-the-making. Governments are morally obliged to recognize the full spectrum of human rights for all children. Using the Convention's definition of children as all human beings being below the age of 18, a large portion indeed of the world's population must be considered.

The healthy development of children is crucial to the future well-being of any society. UNICEF responds to the needs of children in emergency situations, but most UNICEF activities take a long-term perspective by seeking to combat the 'silent emergencies' – such as disease, malnutrition and poverty – that threaten the future of children and societies worldwide.

Children start life as totally dependent beings. Children must rely on adults for the nurture and guidance they need to grow towards independence; such nurture is ideally found in adults in children's families, but when primary caregivers cannot meet children's needs, it is up to society to fill the gap. Because they are still developing, children are especially vulnerable – more so than adults – to poor living conditions such as poverty, inadequate health care, nutrition, safe water, housing and environmental pollution and these conditions in turn jeopardize children's physical, mental and emotional development.

The actions – or inactions – of government impact children more strongly than any other group in society. Practically every area of government policy (for example, education, public health and so on) affects children to some degree – either directly or indirectly. But in many countries throughout the world, policy-making fails to take children into account, threatening their futures. Such a short-sighted approach has a negative impact on the future of all members of society by giving rise to policies that cannot work.

Children's views are rarely heard and rarely considered in the political process. Children generally do not vote and do not otherwise take part in political processes. While many States are beginning to listen seriously to children's views on many important issues – as expressed at home and in schools, in local communities and even in governments – the process of change is still in its earliest stages.

Many changes in society are having a disproportionate – and often negative – impact on children. These changes include transformation of the family structure, globalization, shifting employment patterns and a shrinking social welfare net in many countries. Children are sensitive barometers of social and economic change and the impact of those changes can be particularly devastating in situations of armed conflict and other emergencies.

The costs to society of failing its children are huge. Governments are aware of social research findings that show that children's earliest experiences – within the family and with other caregivers – significantly influence the future course of their development. The way in which children develop determines whether they will make a net contribution – or pose a huge cost – to society over the course of their lives.

The global trend of urbanization has taken an especially severe toll on children. Changes in the global economy, unfavourable weather conditions and recurring armed conflicts have led in recent years to the rapid growth of urban areas worldwide. With nearly half of the urban population in the developing world living in poverty, the plight of children often worsens when families relocate from the countryside to large cities. Dreams of improved living circumstances go unrealized following such moves, while parents and children lose support systems with the break-up of extended families. Among the most conspicuous signs of the poverty of the urban slums is the presence of children on the street – scavenging, begging, hawking and soliciting.

( Children and Adolscent Rights)

Think about your country?!

Iran: Security Forces Kill Kurdish Protestors

2005-08-15T09:29:00.000+03:00

Government Must Investigate Killings and Release Detained Activists .

The Iranian government must investigate the deaths of at least 17 people at the hands of security forces in the western province of Kurdistan over the past two weeks, Human Rights Watch said today.

Security forces reportedly also wounded hundreds when they opened fire on demonstrators protesting the killing of a young Kurdish man, Shivan Qaderi, on July 9.

In addition, the government forces arrested hundreds of people throughout the province, including Roya Toloui, a women's rights activist, and several other leading human rights defenders and journalists.

On July 9, security forces shot and killed Shivan Qaderi in Mahabad. Kurdish groups, quoting Qaderi's brother, said that Qaderi was approached by the security forces in public, shot three times, and then tied to a military vehicle and dragged around the city. According to these reports, Qaderi was a social and political activist, but government authorities have accused him of “moral and financial violations.”

In the wake of Qaderi's murder, protests erupted in several cities and towns in Kurdistan. Protestors demanded that the government apprehend Qaderi's killers and put them on trial. Some of the protests reportedly involved attacks on government buildings and offices. Human Rights Watch obtained a list of 17 protestors killed by the security forces, including three people shot dead in Oshnavieh on July 26, two people shot dead in Baneh on July 30, one person shot dead in Sardasht on August 2, and 11 people shot dead in Saqqez on August 3.

“The Iranian government needs to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the violent response to the recent protests in Kurdistan,” said Hadi Ghaemi, Iran researcher for Human Rights Watch. “Officials who are responsible for any excessive use of lethal force must be prosecuted.”

On August 7, officials of the Interior Ministry said that two men died in Saqqez on August 3, but they denied that government forces had fired on protestors. However, two residents of Saqqez told Human Rights Watch that Special Units (Yiganhay-e Vizhe) of the Revolutionary Guards fired indiscriminately in an effort to disperse the crowds.

“The security forces moved towards the protestors while shooting directly at them,” one eyewitness told Human Rights Watch. Eyewitnesses also told Human Rights Watch that one of the dead in Saqqez, Mohammad Shariati, was shot in the head.

“As his family tried to retrieve his body, the security forces pointed their guns at them and threatened to shoot them. Then they started beating his family with batons,” said an eyewitness who told Human Rights Watch that she saw Shariati fall to the ground.

In addition, eyewitnesses said that the security forces in Saqqez flew helicopters quite low in an effort to disperse the demonstrators, who numbered in the hundreds.

According to local residents, major cities in Kurdistan remain surrounded by units of the Revolutionary Guard and that an undeclared martial law is effectively in place throughout the region.

Iranian authorities blamed the unrest on “hooligan and criminal elements” and charged that “public and state-owned buildings, including banks, were damaged.” Human Rights Watch recognizes the responsibility of the government to take steps to deal with threats to public safety and property. However, the government's response must be lawful and governed by the standards set out in the U.N. Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the U.N. Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. These principles state that “intentional lethal use of firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.”

On August 2, the government shut down Ashti newspaper and the weekly Asu in Kurdistan. Authorities detained Roya Toloui, a leading women's rights activist, at her home in Sanandaj for “disturbing the peace” and “acting against national security.”

On the same day, security forces detained other prominent journalists and human rights defenders at their homes and offices including Azad Zamani, a member of the Association for the Defense of Children's Rights; Mohammad Sadeq Kabudvand, journalist and co-founder of Kurdistan Human Rights Organization; Jalal Qavami, editor of the journal Payam-e Mardom; and Mahmoud Salehi, the spokesman for the Organizational Committee to Establish Trade Unions.

Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian government to immediately and unconditionally release detained journalists, human rights defenders and activists.

(New York, August 11, 2005 ,HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS)

Iran: Harassment of Rights Defenders Escalates

2005-08-08T18:56:00.000+03:00

(New York, August 3, 2005) — The Iranian government intensified its attacks on independent human rights defenders by arresting prominent lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani and threatening Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, Human Rights Watch said on 3 of Aygust.

On Saturday evening, July 30, agents of the Judiciary, operating under the authority of Tehran chief prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, arrested Soltani inside the offices of the Lawyers Association in Tehran. The next day, a Judiciary spokesman announced that Soltani was arrested for “revealing secrets relating to the case of nuclear spies.” Soltani is currently being held in Evin prison in Tehran but has yet to be brought before a judge or formally charged.

The Judiciary statement suggests that Soltani unlawfully divulged information from clients of his who have been charged with revealing Iran’s nuclear secrets. But Soltani has no access to the files in the case. Instead, Human Rights Watch said the arrest appears to be a politically motivated response by the government to Soltani’s role in the Zahra Kazemi case, the Iranian-Canadian photojournalist murdered in July 2003 while she was in government custody. A few days earlier on July 25, Soltani stated before the court of appeals that Kazemi had been in the custody of Judiciary agents and security forces when she was murdered, and that the Judiciary’s continued inaction two years after her death was a cover-up.

“Soltani’s arrest is an ominous sign for human rights in Iran as the new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepares to take office,” said Hadi Ghaemi, Iran researcher for Human Rights Watch.

Soltani’s arrest came during a week when human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi received numerous threats from the Judiciary officials. Ebadi is co-counsel with Soltani in the Kazemi case and participated in the July 25 hearing. On July 30, Mortazavi’s deputy stated publicly that Ebadi was orchestrating the hunger strike of imprisoned journalist Akbar Ganji and that she “has suspicious ties to foreigners.”

Last week, the daily Kayhan, which has close ties to Mortazavi, repeatedly published similar accusations against Ebadi. Ebadi has strongly rejected these accusations, saying “These are attempts to cover up truths that certain people do not wish to see exposed.”

“With the threats against Nobel winner Shirin Ebadi with her international stature,” said Ghaemi, “how can any critic feel safe in Iran?”

Ebadi and Soltani are co-founders of the Center for Defense of Human Rights in Tehran. The Center’s lawyers represent victims of human rights abuses. These include a number of high profile cases, notably Akbar Ganji and the family of Zahra Kazemi.

Ganji, who has spent the last five-and-a-half years in prison because of his writings, has been on hunger strike for more than 50 days. According to his wife, he is near death and is sustained only by occasional injection of fluids to which he strongly objects.

“It is no coincidence that Soltani and Ebadi are now under attack. These actions are politically motivated to prevent human rights defenders from holding the government accountable for its actions and to intimidate and silence them,” Ghaemi said.

In 2002, the Iranian Judiciary arrested and convicted another prominent lawyer, Nasser Zarafshan, after an unfair trial behind closed doors, on charges of “disseminating confidential information.” He was sentenced to five years in prison. Zarafshan represented the families of intellectuals and writers murdered by intelligence ministry agents in 1998.

Human Rights Watch said that the government of Iran has an affirmative obligation to protect Ganji, Ebadi, Soltani and other rights advocates. The United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which the General Assembly adopted by consensus in 1998, declares that states “shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of [human rights defenders] against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary actions” as a consequence of their legitimate effort to promote human rights.

Human Rights Watch called on the government to end its harassment and persecution of lawyers and human rights defenders and to release Akbar Ganji and Abdolfattah Soltani from custody immediately and unconditionally.(Human Rights news ,August 3,2005)

Nobel winners back Ganji petition

2005-08-08T18:36:00.000+03:00

Eight Nobel laureates have signed a petition calling on Iran to free an imprisoned journalist, said to be close to death after weeks on hunger strike.

The petitioners, backed by Paris-based media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, say they fear Akbar Ganji will die if he is not released soon.

Mr Ganji was jailed for implicating top officials in a series of political assassinations.

He has been only drinking tea and water for the past 55 days.

Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian human rights activist and lawyer, launched the petition early in July.

A further seven Nobel laureates have signed the open letter to Iranian leaders, calling on them to release Mr Ganji immediately.

Among them are John Hume, holder of the 1998 peace prize, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, holder of the 1984 peace prize.

The other laureate signatories are Jody Williams, holder of the 1997 peace prize; Mairead Corrigan Maguire, holder of the 1976 peace prize; Betty Williams, holder of the 1976 peace prize; Maurice Allais, holder of the 1988 Nobel prize for economics; and Georges Charpak, holder of the 1992 Nobel prize for physics.

"Iran's most senior officials must heed this very clear message from eight world figures who have made outstanding contributions to peace and science," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

The Nobel laureates join a growing list of people, including US President George W Bush and former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who have called for Mr Ganji to be released.

Earlier this week, the French foreign ministry summoned Iran's top acting diplomat in Paris to urge Tehran to free the reporter.

A spokesman for Iran's judiciary has said the only way Mr Ganji could be freed is if he requested a pardon, which so far the writer has refused to do.

(Friday, 5 August 2005, BBC NEWS)

Child abuse & neglect

2005-07-28T12:52:00.000+03:00

According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child a child is "every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child majority is attained earlier".

All forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power (WHO, 1999; forthcoming [2002]).

Physical abuse of a child is that which results in actual or potential physical harm from an interaction or lack of interaction, which is reasonably within the control of a parent or person in a position of responsibility, power, or trust. There may be single or repeated incidents (WHO, 1999).

Child sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or that violate the laws or social taboos of society. Child sexual abuse is evidenced by an activity between a child and an adult or another child who by age or development is in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power, the activity being intended to gratify or satisfy the needs of the other person. This may included but not is limited to the inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity; the exploitative use of a child in prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices; the exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials (WHO, 1999).

Neglect and negligent treatment is the inattention or omission on the part of the caregiver to provide for the development of the child in all spheres: health, education, emotional development, nutrition, shelter and safe living conditions, in the context of resources reasonably available to the family or caretakers and causes, or has a high probability of causing harm to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. This includes the failure to properly supervise and protect children from harm as much as is feasible (WHO, 1999).

Emotional abuse includes the failure to provide a developmentally appropriate, supportive environment, including the availability of a primary attachment figure, so that the child can develop a stable and full range of emotional and social competencies commensurate with her or his personal potential, and in the context of the society in which the child dwells. There may also be acts toward the child that cause or have a high probability of causing harm to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. These acts must be reasonably within the control of the parent or person in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. Acts include restriction of movement, patterns of belittling, denigrating, scape-goating, threatening, scaring, discriminating, ridiculing, or other non-physical forms of hostile or rejecting treatment (WHO, 1999).

Commercial or other exploitation of a child refers to use of the child in work or other activities for the benefit of others. This includes, but is not limited to, child labour and child prostitution. These activities are to the detriment of the child’s physical or mental health, education, moral or social-emotional development (WHO, 1999).

Think about your country?!

Denial of justice continues for journalist on hunger strike

2005-07-28T12:43:00.000+03:00

With no sign of improvement in the health of hunger-striking journalist Akbar Ganji since his transfer to hospital, Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage today at the behaviour of the judicial authorities in his case and held them responsible for his slow drift towards death.
"Ganji has been on hunger strike for 44 days and has lost two more kilos since his transfer to hospital on 17 July," the press freedom organisation said. "We are also very worried by Tehran state prosecutor Said Mortazavi's insistence that he undergo an operation requiring a general anaesthetic as the general medical view is that his state of health does not allow this."
Reached by telephone, Ganji's wife told Reporters Without Borders she has written to the head of the Iranian judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, requesting Mortazavi's removal from the case, the appointment of someone to prepare a detailed report on his state of health, and permission for him to be visited by three negotiators, who are his friends, to let them try to persuade him to accept treatment. She ended the letter by saying she held Shahrudi fully responsible for her husband's case.
Ganji's lawyer, 2003 Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi, who has not been allowed to visit her client, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) she has "serious concerns" about his state of health.
In a letter posted on several Iranian websites on the day of his transfer to Milad hospital in northern Tehran on 17 July, Ganji said he had been threatened by Mortazavi, who told he was being taken to hospital "to put an end to the international pressure" and so that no one would be able to blame his death on the judicial authorities. ( Reporters without borders, 25 July 2005)

Iran: Leading Dissident’s Life in Danger

2005-07-14T13:47:00.000+03:00

The life of Akbar Ganji, Iran’s imprisoned leading dissident, is under serious threat due to his illness and a month-long hunger strike, Human Rights Watch said today. Ganji, an investigative journalist who was sentenced to prison by the Iranian government in 2000, has lost more than 40 pounds during the past month.

“Human Rights Watch is extremely concerned for Ganji’s health. The Iranian judiciary’s refusal to release Ganji for medical treatment is cruel and inhumane,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

“It is a serious contravention of the most basic humanitarian standards, and the international community should strongly condemn it.” The Iranian judiciary imprisoned Ganji in April 2000 on vaguely worded charges, including “acting against national security” in connection with his participation at a conference in Berlin. He suffers from acute asthma that he developed in prison.

Iranian officials imprisoned Ganji shortly after the publication of articles he wrote documenting the involvement of high-ranking officials in the murder of intellectuals in the 1990s. The Iranian authorities have repeatedly prevented Ganji from receiving specialist medical care or taking medical leave as other prisoners are permitted. In protest of his unfair treatment, Ganji began a hunger strike last month, and has since sustained himself only on liquids.

Ganji has served nearly five-and-a-half years of his six-year sentence. Most prisoners in Iran are eligible for release after serving half of their sentence. Ganji is one of the Iranian government’s most forceful critics. In his writings, he has criticized Iran’s system of governance. According to his wife, the judicial authorities have pressured him to “repent” for his writings as a condition for his release. In a letter smuggled out of jail last week, Ganji held Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, directly responsible for his persecution.

Human Rights Watch is concerned that, in light of Ganji’s recent forceful criticism of the government, the Iranian judiciary may try to prolong his imprisonment by bringing new charges against him. The Iranian government frequently has relied on laws that restrict criticism of the government and its leadership as a basis for bringing charges against dissidents.

“After wrongfully imprisoning Ganji in the first place, the judiciary must not extend his imprisonment based on the opinions expressed in his recent prison letter,” said Whitson.

Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian authorities to release Ganji immediately for medical treatment and to end its persecution of peaceful critics and dissidents.

(New York, July 13, 2005 ,HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH)

How can a human rights approach help to define poverty?

2005-06-27T13:26:00.000+03:00

Poverty has conventionally been defined in economic terms, focusing on an individual’s or household’s available financial capacity, either absolute or relative. In recent years, however, alternative views have emerged that now recognize that poverty is multidimensional. It can be defined not only as lack of material resources deemed necessary for an acceptable standard of living, but also a denial of other related capacities and opportunities, such as education and physical well-being, as well as less easily quantifiable factors such as lack of dignity, self-respect, freedom or access to power.
Although “poverty” is not specifically and explicitly referred to in any of the international human rights treaties, its existence as a phenomenon is recognized by the human rights community. Both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights refer to the right of every one to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services. In 2001, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights reached agreement on the definition of poverty as:
There is no single standard definition of poverty and the choice of definition remains a country’s national prerogative. Any strategy that is to be sustainable and effective must, however, recognize and address the multidimensional nature of poverty and respond to not only its economic aspects but also other critical elements, be they structural, social or
political, that contribute to its persistence in certain vulnerable groups.

How is health protected by the human rights legal framework?

2005-06-27T13:25:00.000+03:00

Human rights recognize that the realization of the highest attainable standard of health depends upon a wide range of distinct, yet interrelated, human rights. The ways in which human rights can have an impact upon health fall into three main areas:
●The violation or neglect of human rights, such as torture, slavery, violence against women and children and exposure to other harmful practices, can lead to ill-health.
●The fulfillment of human rights can reduce a person's vulnerability to ill-health.
● Development policies can bring about the fulfillment of some human rights but may, in some circumstances, violate others.

The right to the highest attainable standard of health, often referred to as the right to health, is enshrined consistently within international law. It encompasses a range of rights from having access to care when ill, to protection against disease or the ill effects of environmental living conditions. Under the right to health, states are obliged to ensure that public health services, as well as medicines and health care staff, are made available to all, are accessible to all, regardless of geographical location or economic status, are acceptable to all cultures, genders and ages and respect the privacy of all individuals.
Furthermore, the quality of the skills of the health personnel, the medicines available and the equipment used should be of a consistent standard for all communities and all individuals within those communities. In addition to the provision of health care, it is generally understood that the fulfillment of the right to health depends upon a number of related human rights that can have a direct impact upon health. These include the right to safe water and sanitation, the right to food and nutrition, the right to shelter, the right to occupational and environmental conditions that do not damage health, the right to health-related education and information, the right to non-discrimination, the right to participate, the right to enjoy the fruits of scientific progress and the right to social security or protection in times of severe hardship.

Declaration on the Participation of Health Personnel in the Death Penalty

2005-06-19T19:04:00.000+03:00

(Amnesty International, 1981, 1988)

Amnesty International,

Recalling that the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath enjoins doctors to practice for thegood of their patients and never to do harm,

Considering that the Declaration of Tokyo of the World Medical Association provides that "the utmost respect for human life is to be maintained even under threat, and no use made of any medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity",

Further considering that the World Medical Association, meeting in Lisbon in 1981, resolved that it is unethical for physicians to participate in capital punishment,

Noting that the United Nations' Principles of Medical Ethics enjoin health personnel, particularly physicians, to refuse to enter into any relationship with a prisoner other than one directed at evaluating, protecting or improving their physical and mental health,

Conscious of the ethical dilemmas posed for health personnel called on to treat or testify about the condition of prisoners facing capital charges or sentenced to death, where actions by such personnel could help save the prisoner's life but could also result in the prisoner's execution,

Mindful that health personnel can be called on to participate in executions by, inter alia:

1.determining mental and physical fitness for execution,
2.preparing, administering, supervising or advising others on any procedure related to execution,
3.making medical examinations during executions, so that an execution can continue if the prisoner is not yet dead,

Declares that the participation of health personnel in executions is a violation of professional ethics;

Calls upon health personnel not to participate in executions;

Further calls upon organizations of health professionals:
1.to protect health personnel who refuse to participate in executions
2.to adopt resolutions to these ends, and
3.to promote worldwide adherence to these standards.

This declaration was formulated by the Medical Advisory Board of Amnesty International in 1981 and revised in 1988 in the light of developments on the issue.

2005-06-16T20:10:00.000+03:00

Africa needs more than $1bn each year to care for the millions of orphans on the continent, officials say.

By 2010, there will be more than 50 million orphans in just 16 of Africa's 53 countries, said Douglas Webb from the UN's children's agency. ( BBC,16 June,2005)
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Gender-based differences

2005-06-15T12:50:00.000+03:00

Discrimination on the basis of sex and gender roles – also called Gender discrimination– remains pervasive.
There are very few countries in the world where women are equal to men from the point of view of legal, social and economic rights, and gender gaps are widespread in access to and control over resources, in economic opportunities, in power and political voice.

Gender
Gender refers to the economic, social and cultural attributes and opportunities associated with being male or female in a particular point in time.
Source: Transforming health systems: gender and rights in reproductive health. WHO, 2001.

Gender equality
Gender equality means equal treatment of women and men in laws and policies, and equal access to resources and services within families, communities and society at large.
Source: Transforming health systems: gender and rights in reproductive health. WHO, 2001.

Gender equity
Gender equity means fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between women and men. It often requires women-specific programmes and policies to end existing inequalities.
Source: Transforming health systems: gender and rights in reproductive health. WHO, 2001.

Gender discrimination
Gender discrimination refers to any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of socially constructed gender roles and norms which prevents a person from enjoying full human rights.
Source: Transforming health systems: gender and rights in reproductive health. WHO, 2001.

Reproductive rights
Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence.
Source: ICPD Programme of Action, 1994, para 7.3

Sex

Sex refers to the biological characteristics which define humans as female or male.[These sets of biological characteristics are not mutually exclusive as there are individuals who possess both, but these characteristics tend to differentiate humans as males and females. In general use in many languages, the term sex is often used to mean "sexual activity", but for technical purposes in the context of sexuality and sexual health discussions, the above definition is preferred.]
Source: WHO Draft working definition, October 2002

Sexuality

Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, ethical, legal, historical and religious and spiritual factors.
Source: WHO Draft working definition, October 2002

Sexual health

Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.
Source: WHO Draft working definition, October 2002

Sexual rights

Sexual rights embrace human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus documents. These include the right of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to:
the highest attainable standard of health in relation to sexuality, including access to sexual and reproductive health care services;
seek, receive and impart information in relation to sexuality;
sexuality education;
respect for bodily integrity;
choice of partner;
decide to be sexually active or not;
consensual sexual relations;
consensual marriage;
decide whether or not, and when to have children; and
pursue a satisfying, safe and pleasurable sexual life.
The responsible exercise of human rights requires that all persons respect the rights of others.
Source: WHO Draft working definition, October 2002

Afghanistan: Women still under attack

2005-06-14T12:21:00.000+03:00

Violence against women and girls in Afghanistan is pervasive, said Amnesty International launching its latest report "Afghanistan: Women under attack".

2005-06-14T12:10:00.000+03:00

Stop Violence Against Women campaign: It's in our hands

On 5 March 2004 Amnesty International launched a world-wide campaign to stop violenc against women. Governments and citizens everywhere will be pressured to introduce and implement laws that really protect women, whether on the battlefield or at home.

G8 reaches deal for world's poor

2005-06-13T23:02:00.000+03:00

Poverty in Africa .

The world's eight richest countries have reached a landmark debt relief deal to alleviate global poverty.
The move provides relief for poor, indebted nations, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, freeing up much-needed revenue.Announcing the deal at a meeting of G8 finance ministers in London, the UK's Gordon Brown said now was "not a time for timidity but a time for boldness".The UK, which will host a summit of G8 leaders next month, has vowed to make poverty reduction a priority. ( Saturday, 13 June, 2005 ,BBC NEWS)
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2005-06-13T12:28:00.000+03:00

pic of the day

Children jubilating in Clean Water Festival in Tehran, June 12 ( 13,June ,2005 ;Tehran Times)

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2005-06-13T12:21:00.000+03:00

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

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Millennium Development Goals

2005-06-12T19:47:00.000+03:00

By the year 2015, all 191 United Nations Member states have pledged to meet these goals ;

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

2005-06-12T19:31:00.000+03:00

More than one million Iranian children live below a poverty line of $1 and $2 a day income, while approximately 14 percent work to contribute to family income and meet schooling costs. (Iran daily ,08/Feb/2005)

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2005-06-12T16:31:00.000+03:00

Earthquake in Bam( IRAN,2004)
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2005-06-12T16:15:00.000+03:00

Hunger
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Universal Declaration of Human Rights

2005-06-12T13:41:00.000+03:00

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Gender equality and Gender equity

2005-06-12T13:15:00.000+03:00

Gender equality is the absence of discrimination on the basis of a person's sex in opportunities, in the allocation of resources and benefits or in access to services.

Gender equity refers to fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between women and men. The concept recognises that women and men have different needs and power and that these differences should be identified and addressed in a manner that rectifies the imbalance between the sexes.

Non Communicable diseases in IRAN

2005-06-12T00:02:00.000+03:00

Non-communicable diseases and their related morbidity and mortality are also a significant serious public health problem in Iran.
Given the high prevalence of Non-communicable diseases in Iran, the fact that they constitute most important cause of mortality in the country (46%, based on a report by the Iranian Ministry of Health), the rising prevalence of coronary diseases in the younger population (17% in the fifth and sixth decades, to 28% during the last three years), estimates of the prevalence of risk factors in the society (10%), and the economic burdens of such diseases (costs of hospitalization in teaching hospitals in Isfahan amounting to some 3,750,000 $ in 1989, reaching 19 million and 5 hundred thousand $ in 1994), studies conducted by Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center estimate that NCD-related economic burdens will exceed 50 million $ in 2004.
According to the death registration report in IRAN, the first cause of deaths is CVD. Although CVD is the first cause of deaths, and the risk of getting a cardiovascular disease increases by 1.5 times in people who do not follow minimum physical activity recommendations, over 60% of the global population in Iran is not physically active enough to gain health benefits, especially girls and women , and the population’s sedentary life style is one of the public health problem in IRAN. Several reports have shown that a combination of improper diet, lack of physical activity and tobacco use may be the cause of up to 80% of premature coronary heart disease in IRAN.

Iranian journalist returns to prison

2005-06-11T23:36:00.000+03:00

An Iranian investigative journalist, jailed for linking officials to political murders, was back behind bars on Saturday and resuming a hunger strike after vanishing for three days.

Akbar Ganji was granted home leave last month to have medical checks for asthma and back pains.

Iranian authorities said he should have been back in jail on Wednesday but had given them the slip.

On Saturday, Ganji returned alone to Tehran's Evin prison, clutching a hold-all and a bag of medicines.

"Now that I have gone back to prison, I will resume my hunger strike," he told reporters. "All political prisoners must be freed."

He was jailed in 2001 after publishing articles implicating top officials to the murder of political dissidents.

Human rights' lawyer Mohammad Saifzadeh said Tehran's prosecutor had turned down an extension to Ganji's home leave.

"But the reason he did not show up for three days was to protest at the way agents raided his home," he told Reuters.

Gap widens between Iran's rich and poor

2005-06-11T23:13:00.000+03:00

Unemployment and poverty are some of the most important issues in Iran today.

world cup

2005-06-11T19:42:00.000+03:00

Iran in world cup 2006.
AFC - Iran followed Japan into the 2006 World Cup after a solitary goal win over Bahrain on Wednesday at the packed Azadi Stadium.