Journalist and Women’s Rights Activist Serving Six-year Prison Sentence

Hengameh Shahidi, a journalist and women's rights activist, began serving a six-year prison sentence in Evin Prison in Tehran on 25 February 2010, after an appeal court upheld her conviction and sentence for "gathering and colluding with intent to harm state security" and "propaganda against the system." Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience, held solely for her peaceful political and journalistic activities.

Hengameh Shahidi was an advisor on women's issues to presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi who ran in the disputed 12 June 2009 elections. She is a member of his E'temad-e Melli (National Trust) Party. The party's newspaper, E'temad was shut down by authorities on 1 March 2010.

Hengameh Shahidi had been previously detained for four months from the end of June to 1 November 2009, and has reported that she was tortured in custody and threatened with execution. At her trial on 4 November 2009, she was accused of taking part in demonstrations that protested the contested elections, giving an interview to the media, writing articles on her blog, singing statements addressed to the United Nations about human rights in Iran, and collecting signatures for the Campaign for Equality which seeks to change discriminatory laws affecting women.

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Guantanamo - new zip code, no human rights

There are troubling rumors flying around Washington that President Obama is on the verge of cutting a political deal with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The President is actually considering rolling back Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to prosecute terror suspects using fair trials in U.S. federal court.

The result would mean that while the Guantanamo prison facility would finally be closed, detainees would continue to be held indefinitely without charge and denied fair trials, but just in a new location on U.S. soil.

» Call Senator Graham's office – tell him why you oppose military courts and indefinite detention
» Call the White House and urge Obama to support fair trials for Guantanamo detainees
» Send an email to urge your member of Congress to stand up for fair trials

10,000 Against Torture

The Counter Terror With Justice Campaign has launched 10,000 Against Torture, an 8-week micro campaign to push President Obama and Congress to set up an independent commission to investigate torture.

This week, we're asking folks to click our 10,000 Against Torture counter to register their support and take part in a letter to the editor blitz. Please help promote this week's actions by forwarding this link: http://www.amnestyusa.org/10K

You can also refer people to our web page: http://www.amnestyusa.org/ctwj or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/withjustice

We'll be sending out next week's action soon.

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