Another arrest in crackdown on cyber-feminists

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arrest of feminist writer Jelveh Javaheri of We-Change (http://www.we-change.org/), a website that had been campaigning for women's rights in Iran since 2005. She was arrested on 1 December in Tehran when she responded to a court summons. “Javaheri is the second cyber-feminist to be arrested in two weeks on utterly vague charges,” the press freedom organisation said. “Websites such as hers are symbols of the criticism which the Iranian government wants to stamp out. By harassing feminist activists in this manner, the regime wants to put a stop to these news and information websites, and that constitutes a serious violation of free expression.” Aged 30, Javaheri was taken to Evin prison on the northern outskirts of Tehran after being charged with publishing false information, “disturbing public opinion” and “publicity against the Islamic Republic. She was previously detained by a revolutionary court on 4 March for participating in a demonstration in support of five cyber-feminists who were being prosecuted on charges of “attacking national security,” “publicity against the Islamic Republic,” and “participating in an unauthorised demonstration.” Provisionally released four days later, she is due to be tried on 18 December. Maryam Hosseinkhah, a journalist arrested on the same charges on 18 November, is still being held in Evin prison. Hosseinkhah wrote for Zanestan, another women's rights website, which has been closed since 12 November. The authorities are requesting the equivalent of 95,000 euros in bail for her release.