Shadi Sadr
Encyclopedia
Shadi Sadr (born 1974) is an Iranian lawyer, journalist, and a notable Iranian woman's rights activist. She is married, and has a daughter. She is an active lawyer defending execution cases in Iran.
As a practicing lawyer, she has successfully defended several women activists and journalists in court, who had been sentenced to execution.
She is one of the Iranians who have campaigned to eradicate the practice of capital punishment by stoning
, particularly of women, in a campaign known as End Stoning Forever. This campaign is one of several launched by Women's Field, a women's rights group of which Sadr is a member.
Following the 2003 Bam earthquake
, she helped organize a relief effort to collect food and supplies for women and children in the area of Bam
.
Sadr is the defense lawyer of Shiva Nazar Ahari
, a human rights defender and member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, who was arrested on 14 June 2009 and is believed to have been held incommunicado since then in Evin Prison
.
On 17 July 2009, Shadi Sadr was beaten by plainclothes militiamen and taken away as she headed toward Tehran University
for the Friday Prayers led by Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
. She was walking on Keshavarz Boulevard with several other female activists when individuals in civilian dress approached and refused to identify themselves or justify their actions before forcing her into a waiting car. After she had briefly escaped, her companions were restrained as she was beaten and forced back into the car. It then took her to an unknown location. She later called her husband, according to some reports to ask for a cellphone password.
. She was released 11 days later on July 28, 2009.
2009 - she received 50 000 euro, as a special prize founded by Lech Walesa, legendary leader of polish "Solidarity" and laureate of Nobel Peace Prize in 1983
She also received a Dutch human rights prize, the Human Rights Defenders Tulip
, on November 9, 2009.
Background
Sadr majored in law and political science, and holds a Master's Degree from Tehran University (1999).Activities
Sadr is an expert on women's legal rights in Iran. She was director of Raahi, a now-closed legal advice center for women, and founded the website Women in Iran to showcase women's rights efforts in Iran.As a practicing lawyer, she has successfully defended several women activists and journalists in court, who had been sentenced to execution.
She is one of the Iranians who have campaigned to eradicate the practice of capital punishment by stoning
Stoning
Stoning, or lapidation, is a form of capital punishment whereby a group throws stones at a person until the person dies. No individual among the group can be identified as the one who kills the subject, yet everyone involved plainly bears some degree of moral culpability. This is in contrast to the...
, particularly of women, in a campaign known as End Stoning Forever. This campaign is one of several launched by Women's Field, a women's rights group of which Sadr is a member.
Following the 2003 Bam earthquake
2003 Bam earthquake
The 2003 Bam earthquake was a major earthquake that struck Bam and the surroundingKerman province of southeastern Iran at 1:56 AM UTC on Friday, December 26, 2003. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 6.6; estimated by the United...
, she helped organize a relief effort to collect food and supplies for women and children in the area of Bam
Bam, Iran
Bam is a city in and the capital of Bam County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 73,823, in 19,572 families.The modern Iranian city of Bam surrounds the Bam citadel. Before the 2003 earthquake the official population count of the city was roughly 43,000. There are...
.
Sadr is the defense lawyer of Shiva Nazar Ahari
Shiva Nazar Ahari
Shiva Nazar Ahari is a notable Iranian human rights activist and a founding member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters. She has been jailed several times by the Iranian government. The last time was 14 June 2009 and she was held in Evin prison until September 23, 2009 when she was released...
, a human rights defender and member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, who was arrested on 14 June 2009 and is believed to have been held incommunicado since then in Evin Prison
Evin Prison
Evin House of Detention is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. It is noted for its political prisoners' wing, where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
.
Repression
Shadi Sadr was one of 33 women arrested in March 2007 after gathering outside a Tehran courtroom to protest peacefully against the trial of five women accused of “propaganda against the system”, “acting against national security” and “participating in an illegal demonstration” in connection with a 12 June 2006 demonstration in support of women's rights. Sadr was held for fifteen days before being freed on bail together with Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh.On 17 July 2009, Shadi Sadr was beaten by plainclothes militiamen and taken away as she headed toward Tehran University
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran , also known as Tehran University and UT, is Iran's oldest university. Located in Tehran, the university is among the most prestigious in the country, and is consistently selected as the first choice of many applicants in the annual nationwide entrance exam for top Iranian...
for the Friday Prayers led by Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is an influential Iranian politician and writer, who was the fourth President of Iran. He was a member of the Assembly of Experts until his resignation in 2011...
. She was walking on Keshavarz Boulevard with several other female activists when individuals in civilian dress approached and refused to identify themselves or justify their actions before forcing her into a waiting car. After she had briefly escaped, her companions were restrained as she was beaten and forced back into the car. It then took her to an unknown location. She later called her husband, according to some reports to ask for a cellphone password.
. She was released 11 days later on July 28, 2009.
Awards and honors
- Ida B. WellsIda B. WellsIda Bell Wells-Barnett was an African American journalist, newspaper editor and, with her husband, newspaper owner Ferdinand L. Barnett, an early leader in the civil rights movement. She documented lynching in the United States, showing how it was often a way to control or punish blacks who...
Award for Bravery in Journalism, 2004 from Women's eNewsWomen's eNewsWomen's eNews is a nonprofit online news service based in New York City. It publishes international news articles specializing in coverage of women's lives.- History :...
in their annual 21 Leaders for the 21st century awards,
2009 - she received 50 000 euro, as a special prize founded by Lech Walesa, legendary leader of polish "Solidarity" and laureate of Nobel Peace Prize in 1983
She also received a Dutch human rights prize, the Human Rights Defenders Tulip
Human rights defenders tulip
The Human Rights Defenders Tulip is an annual award for individuals who have shown exceptional moral courage in protecting and promoting the rights of his or her fellow citizens. The award was established by the Netherlands government in 2007, and presented for the first time on 10 December 2008...
, on November 9, 2009.