Iran: Women's rights can't wait

10 years in prison for standing up for women's rights

Dear Tracy,

Bahareh Hedayat is a prisoner of conscience who needs your voice to win her release.

Bahareh helped organize The Campaign for Equality, a grassroots initiative seeking to collect one million signatures calling for an end to legal discrimination against women in Iran - including inequitable treatment in marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance.

Following an anti-government protest, Bahareh was arrested and is serving a ten-year sentence in Evin prison, which is notorious for its brutality and horrific conditions. Bahareh suffers from a number of serious medical problems caused by the deplorable prison conditions.

This month is Amnesty International USA's annual Membership Drive. Will you stand up for women in Iran and around the world who dare to speak out against discrimination? Your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by a group of donors until September 30.

Bahareh wrote this in a letter to her husband from jail:

"Amin, I miss everything... Everything. Every bit of my existence is in pain, as I yearn for you. You don't know how it feels to be held in this damned cage. My heart yearns for your calm embrace."

We must help reunite Bahareh and her husband. We must help secure her release.

Your support can help fund our campaign. Please join us and your donation will be matched through the end of this month.

Thank you for your commitment to justice.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Heiss
Senior Campaigner, Individuals & Communities at Risk
Amnesty International USA