Bahareh Hedayat was released from prison in Iran this past weekend. Here is a photo we just received of Bahareh after her release.
Your letters of support inspired Bahareh to persevere through long days and months in prison. And your signatures –– over 130,000 in all –– focused the world’s attention on the Iranian government’s treatment of Bahareh and hundreds more political prisoners.
Bahareh’s case is especially close to our heart. A number of United for Iran staff, including Reza Ghazinouri and Mehdi Aminizadeh, know Bahareh personally and worked alongside her as human rights activists in Iran.
Bahareh was imprisoned for nothing more than peaceful activism for the rights of students and women. She was arrested the day before her wedding. While in prison in 2011, she was given an extra six months for writing a letter about the conditions of other student activists.
Hundreds more political prisoners in Iran have similar stories. Our Iran Prison Atlas tells Bahareh’s story and documents the cases of nearly 1,000 political prisoners. We must all help shine a light on these cases and remind the Iranian government that the world is watching.
Will you spread the word about Bahareh’s release? Please take a moment to visit us on Facebook (follow us in English or Persian) and share the good news.
Thank you for supporting Bahareh. With your help, we will keep fighting for the just and humane treatment of all Iranian prisoners and improving the civil rights of every Iranian.
In Solidarity,
Firuzeh Mahmoudi
Director
United for Iran