Nobel Women's Initiative
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  1. Media Releases & Statements
  2. Dr Shirin Ebadi's Open Letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Dr Shirin Ebadi's Open Letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Following the murder of a young woman - Mahsa Amini - in the street by government agents, only because part of her hair was out of her scarf, the multitude of unmet demands sparked a massive movement in Iran. While this movement involved various people in the society, however the courage of women, girls, and especially high school students has been especially remarkable. The killing of several teenage girls during a peaceful demonstration fuelled the fire of people's anger and protests spread to about 100 cities in Iran.

Posted on March 6, 2023
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This month and following the above-mentioned incidents, we are witnessing the mass poisonings by gas inhalation of students at girls' high schools and art schools seemingly aimed at intimidating families, to the point that some families are afraid to send their children to school.

In more than 50 schools in different cities including Qom, Tehran, Borujerd, Sari, Qazvin... more than five hundred students were hospitalized with symptoms of respiratory poisoning. Several students have said that an object like a grenade was thrown into the school and gas was released from it. The nature of the gas is still unknown. Although the deputy of research and technology department of the Ministry of Health has confirmed that the poisonings were intentional, unfortunately, no effective action has been taken to discover who is responsible for this crime, and this is while most of the cities are equipped with cameras and protesters are easily identified and arrested.

For Iranians, such conduct is reminiscent of Afghanistan under the Taliban. People believe that the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran are frustrated with with the protest of young girls against the compulsory hijab and the goal of repetition of such events is ultimately to limit the women and girls' movement and make them prisoners in their own homes. Considering that the first duty of any government is to provide security for its citizens, therefore, by announcing the danger of the Islamic Republic's inaction in following up on such incidents, we draw the attention of the international authorities to the fact the Islamic Republic of Iran’s opposition to “Women's rights”  is certainly the root and the main cause of such tragedies, and therefore we urge you to use all your legal means to end such criminal acts.

Kind regards,

Shirin Ebadi

2003 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Chairwoman of the Defenders of Human Rights Center

Media Releases & Statements

February 24, 2023

Nigerian Election Will Impact Gender Equality and Peace

January 18, 2023

Nobel Women’s Initiative Welcomes Maria Ressa’s Acquittal and Urges Action to Address Information Crisis

November 4, 2022

Dr Shirin Ebadi Addresses UN Security Council

October 7, 2022

Nobel Women’s Initiative laureates congratulate 2022 Peace Prize winners calling for peace with justice

September 28, 2022

An Open Letter to the People of Iran

September 19, 2022

Peace laureates appalled and saddened by the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

September 7, 2022

Oh, Sister!: A documentary about Ukrainian Women's daily struggle for peace

July 7, 2022

Statement: Collective warning from Iranian social and political activists

June 23, 2022

Women of Ukraine demand peace. Peace with justice. Peace with Freedom.

Recent Media Coverage

Recognizing the Role of Women in Fighting for Peace in Ukraine. Women's Enews. 23 February 2023. 

How Ukrainian Women Are Working to Safeguard Human Rights in the Face of War. Ms Magazine. 23 February 2023. 

Jody Williams: "Se están usando minas terrestres en la invasión de Ucrania". El Espanol. 8 February 2023. 

Nobel laureate Ebadi says Iran's 'revolutionary process' is irreversible. Reuters. 3 February 2023.

Minelegging truer sivile i Ukraina. Klassekampen. 25 January 2023. 

“Oh, Sister!” — life of Women of Ukraine amidst the war. The Odessa Journal. 29 December 2022.

‘Bravery has no gender’: Nobel prize winner praises role of women in Ukraine conflict. The Irish Times. 16 December 2022.

Für Ukraine alles geben, was möglich ist. Berliner Zeitung, 16 December 2022. 

Shirin Ebadi on the legal obstacles Iran’s protesters face. Economist, 16 November 2022

Will Russia use tactical nukes? It’s time to abolish nuclear weapons.* Houston Chronicle, 6 November 2022

How Women Respond to War: An Interview With Three Nobel Laureates. Women's Media Center, 4 November 2022

U.S/ Seeks Removal of Iran From U.N. Women's Rights Agency. New York Times, 2 November 2022

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Spotlight the Brave, Visionary Women of Ukraine And Launch 'Women Lead' Campaign. Forbes, 28 October 2022

“They Want a Democracy”: Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi on Protests, Regime’s Future. Democracy Now, 20 October 2022

'Iran will be democratic one day': Shirin Ebadi. DW, 23 October 2022

Shirin Ebadi: Women will open the gate to democracy in Iran. CNN, 7 October 2022

*Behind a paywall

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