IRANIAN WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS: CHALLENGES AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 001018 IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/IR, EUR/CE, AND DRL/MLGA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM IR PL SUBJECT: IRANIAN WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS: CHALLENGES AND REQUESTS ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Embassy Berlin Iran Watcher and Embassy Warsaw Public Affairs Counselor attended a "Women's Solidarity for Democracy" conference organized by the Warsaw-based Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies. The conference topic was the Iranian civil rights movement and the Iranian women's rights movement. Iranian panelists focused on the question of how the West can help and asked (1) that human rights issues be discussed along with nuclear issues when the West holds talks with Iran; (2) for more vocal support for human rights activists and defenders who have been imprisoned; (3) for more Farsi language material on Human Rights movements and activism; (4) for opportunities for activists inside the country to learn/network from those outside; and (5) for help in telling Iran's story to the outside world. The panelists also discussed the particular challenges they faced inside Iran and talked about the importance of campaigns such as the One Million Signatures Campaign. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The September 13 conference, which was open to the media, was hosted and organized by the City of Warsaw in partnership with the Warsaw-based Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies (an intergovernmental organization of democracies launched in 2000 in Warsaw by the U.S., Poland, and six other co-founders.) Polish FM Sikorski made a surprise appearance to introduce politician and writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Sikorski's wife, Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum, moderated one of the two panels. Panelists discussed the role of women in democracy movements and what the West can do to support the women's and democracy movements inside Iran. The conference was opened by Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw, along with Radville Morkunite, MP European Parliament (Lithuania); Robert LaGamma, President of the Council for a Community of Democracies; and Bronislaw Misztal, Executive Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies (Note: Misztal is a close Sikorski advisor seconded from the Polish MFA). Former Polish First Lady Jolanta Kwasniewska closed the conference. Also present were about a dozen Iranian women, all of whom currently live outside of Iran, and fifty other guests, mostly Polish with some representation from Russia, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Lebanon, France, and Germany. One of Kuwait's first female parliamentarians also participated. How Can the Outside World Help -- Do Not Forget Neda's Eyes -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) Fariba Davoodi-Mohajer, a journalist and women's rights activist who had been imprisoned for her activism and left Iran for the U.S. about two years ago, began the discussion panel on what the international community can do to help support human rights and women's rights activists inside Iran. She received great applause from the audience when she asked the West to put human rights on the table when raising the nuclear question with the Iranian government. She noted that the goal of the Iranian regime is to keep the women's movement from getting assistance -- and to keep it isolated. Any criticism from the movement is seen/spun by the Iranian government as emanating from Western governments and not from the Iranian people. She called on the Western media to tell Iran's story -- especially the story of Iran's women. Western governments and human rights organizations should put pressure on the Iranian government by highlighting and following individual cases of jailed activists. ¶4. (U) Davoodi-Mohajer suggested the West could help Iranians by facilitating networks between Iranians inside Iran and members of the international community working in human rights/civil society fields. She noted that journalists and activists are scattered outside the country -- they need structures to get in touch. She asked for financial assistance for Iranian women to attend worldwide conferences -- "without money we simply can't attend, but let us decide if it's too risky." Women in Iran desperately need access to Farsi language material on human rights movements/civil society. She asked for more books to be translated into Farsi and documents to be made available on the Internet. She said her colleagues need training in Women's Rights to combat trafficking in persons and harassment against women. She suggested setting up Farsi language websites to raise awareness inside Iran and to provide scholarships and training for young Iranians who have left Iran so they can contribute when they return. She called on the international community to do what it can to improve Internet access in Iran and to block government filters. She concluded her WARSAW 00001018 002 OF 002 intervention with an emotional appeal to the audience to "not forget Neda's eyes" -- referring to the young Iranian demonstrator whose death was filmed and broadcast around the world via Internet. (Comment: Picking up on this theme, panel moderator Anne Applebaum later authored an editorial suggesting that the best way to exert leverage with the Iranian government, even on nuclear issues, would be to encourage the democratic opposition and raise the profile of human rights issues. End Comment.) Davoodi-Mohajer suggested that President Obama show a photograph of Neda at press conferences. ¶5. (U) Mahmonir Rahimi, a journalist from VOA, echoed Davoodi-Mohajer's comments saying that Iranian women urgently need a platform to get their voices heard both inside their country and outside. She noted that Farsi-speaking radio is great for getting the West's story inside Iran -- but no one is helping Iranians get their story out. She concluded her presentation with a personal story about the hardships she faced in Iran when she was denied a divorce by her abusive husband. She told of her imprisonment, the loss of custody of her daughter, and her long struggle to be reunited after many years of separation, thanks largely to the courageous work of Mehraghiz Kar and Shadi Sadr (Iranian Human Rights defenders -- both currently living outside of the country for fear of persecution). What Can NGOs Do - What Are Irish NGOs Already Doing... -------------- -------------- ¶6. (U) Mary Lawlor, Director of Front Line, an Irish NGO working to protect Human Rights activists around the globe gave a detailed presentation of her organization's efforts in Iran. Front Line researches international activists' efforts and lobbies in Brussels and at the UN especially to encourage countries to take "urgent action" for pressing cases. In Iran, Front Line has a staff member who is trained to help send activists to safe-havens should the need arise. They also translate documents into Farsi about how to save electronic documents safely and navigate the internet without being traced. They issue small grants for safety/security upgrades to facilities and for stress management counseling. Lawlor said Front Line had already completed 70 emergency re-locations this year (Note. It was not clear from her remarks if these were 70 relocations from Iran or globally. End Note.) Women in Democracy Movements: Challenges, Opportunities -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) Maryam Hosseinkhah, an Iranian journalist and member of the Women's Cultural Center in Iran, who had to leave Iran after the elections and is currently living in Malaysia, spoke about the challenges and opportunities facing Iranian women. She spoke about her role in the One Million Signatures Campaign and her experiences in prison. She said the Campaign raised awareness of discriminatory laws and explained what individuals can do about it. While she was in Iran she and her fellow activists took their petitions everywhere; at her wedding she asked guests for signatures in lieu of gifts. She explained that her colleagues became subjects of discrimination within their families for such actions but that they persevered because they felt their actions helped to connect them to a global society. Hosseinkhah called on the West to shine spotlights on human rights abuse cases, especially on those who have been unjustly jailed. She said that when her prison interrogator let slip that thousands of people had signed a petition calling for her release, it gave her the strength to make it through the ordeal. ¶8. (SBU) Comment: The conference, organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies (CD) with strong support from FM Sikorski, is part of a Permanent Secretariat effort to raise the CD's profile and to transform it from a talk shop into an action-oriented body. Permanent Secretariat Executive Director Misztal hopes to use next year's 10th anniversary of the Warsaw Declaration to "re-launch" the CD. Misztal is also optimistic that the new Lithuanian Presidency will re-energize the Community of Democracies. ¶9. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Berlin. TULLEY