"We are Proud of Raheleh and Nasim for their Commitment to Women’s Rights" Claims Raheleh’s Mother

February 20, 2008 - (Change for Equality) Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi contacted their family members on Sunday February 17, 2008 to inform them that they had been transferred to Evin’s public ward 3.

Ali Vaezipour, Nasim’s husband explains: "Nasim called me last night and today from prison. She was in good spirits and explained that female prisoners there are treating her and Raheleh very well."

In relation to the bail amount set for Nasim, Mr. Vaezipour explains: "I am a general physician and with limited income, so I cannot come up with the 20 million Tomans (roughly $22000) bail amount set for her release. As such, I will try to convince the courts to reduce the bail amount to a third-party guarantee."

Ghazaleh Asgarizadeh, Raheleh’s sister, who had gone to the Revolutionary courts on Sunday to follow the case of her sister, explains: "they have not given us a definite answer in relation to my sister’s case and we were not allowed to visit the judge in charge of Raheleh’s case. In this respect, the court officials explained to us that a case number for her case has yet to be issued. My sister and her friends haven’t done anything, besides advocating for the rights of women."

Raheleh Asgarizadeh’s mother who is also a member of the Mother’s Committee of the Campaign, explains: "my husband and I are proud of Raheleh, for her activism on behalf of women’s rights and her own rights as a woman. Because I too work with the Campaign, I understand that we must pay a price to bring about change and I am willing to endure these consequences."

Raheleh’s mother explains further: "Raheleh has not committed a crime for which we now have to post a high bail amount. Her father insists that we wait until her innocence is proven, and the judge reduces her bail amount to a third-party guarantee."

In their telephone contact from prison, Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Nasim Khosravi, spoke of the kind treatment they had received from fellow inmates as well as prison guards. In this short time since their transfer to Prison, Raheleh and Nasim have put many of the female inmates in touch with lawyers working with the Campaign, so that they too can benefit from appropriate legal representation.

Nasrin Sotoodeh, Shirin Ebadi and Leila Alikarami are the lawyers representing Raheleh and Nasim.

Raheleh and Nasim were arrested on February 14, 2008 while collecting signatures in Park Daneshjoo following a street play on the subject of women’s rights. They were transferred to Evin Prison on Saturday February 16, 2008.

From:http://www.change4equality.com/english/spip.php?article215