Raheleh Rahemipour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raheleh Rahemipour (Persian: راحله راحمیپور; born 1953) is a human rights activist from Tehran, Iran. She is best known for her campaigns to search for her forcibly disappeared family members, and for her peaceful activism for other victims of summary execution and enforced disappearance.[1]
Since filing a complaint with the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances in 2016 regarding the disappearance of her relatives, Rahemipour has been accused of spreading false information and campaigning against the government, resulting in her interrogation, detention, and judicial persecution. International organizations and UN independent experts are concerned about the ongoing harassment against her and have called for this to stop.[2][3]
In February 2017, Rahemipour was convicted of "spreading propaganda against the system," which resulted in a one-year prison sentence due to her media interviews, attendance at the gathering of the Mothers of Laleh Park, and signing of various petitions. She managed to avoid jail following an appeal.[4][5] On August 20, 2017, Raheleh was questioned for six hours in Evin Prison about her attendance at peaceful demonstrations where she held a photo of her brother with the slogan, “You killed my brother. What did you do with his daughter?”[6] On September 10, 2017, she was detained at her home in Tehran and transferred to Evin Prison.[7]
As of May 2018, Rahemipour is facing trial for the second time in reprisal for a complaint filed with the UN on the enforced disappearance of her brother and his infant daughter. Ministry of Intelligence officials told Rahemipour that they would stop the prosecution if she agreed to withdraw her complaint before the United Nations.[8]
