Amnesty International: Threats against Kurdish human rights defenders must stop

Amnesty International is alarmed at reports that human rights defenders in Sanandaj, Iranian Kordestan, working on children and women's rights are facing threats in connection with their human rights work. It is feared that such harassment may increase towards International Women's Day on 8 March.

The organisation appeals to the Intelligence Section of the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF, or Hefazat-e Ettela'at-e Nirou-ye Entezami) in Kordestan to stop its apparently unjustified interference with these activists and to work towards protecting human rights.

In recent days members of the legally recognised non-governmental organisation (NGO), Association for the Defence of Children's Rights (ADCR, or Kanoun-e Defa' az Hoqouq-e Koudekan) and the unrecognised Association of Kurdish Women Defending Peace and Human Rights (AKWDP&HR or Kanoun-e Zanan-e Kord-e Modafa' Solh va Hoqouq-e Bashar) have endured summons, interrogation, telephone threats and harassment, apparently in connection with their human rights work.
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