The Nobel Peace Prize Award was confiscated by Iranian authorities in November 2009, which Shirin Ebadi received in 26003, for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women’s, children’s, and refugee rights. This is just the latest examples of attempts to silence the awarded human rights lawyer.

On December 29, 2008,  five finance inspectors raided Ms. Shirin Ebadi’s law firm in Teheran. This search and seizure follows the unlawful search and closure by the police on December 21, 2008 of the headquarters of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC) in Teheran, FIDH member organisation in Iran which provides free legal advice and support to human rights defenders. Ms. Shirin Ebadi is one of the Centre’s founding members. Shirin Ebadi has received written death threats for years. The last year, her husband has been faced with harrassment.

Members of the Norwegian Human Rights House, which have had the honor to invite Shirin Ebadi to the Norwegian Human Rights House three times, call upon the Iranian authorities to immediately put an end to all kind of repression against human rights defenders and their relatives, and conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by UN on December 9, 1998,  Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, and  and Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.

We call upon the Irianian authorities to guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Shirin Ebadi and her relatives.

FoodFirst Information and Action Network
Health and Human Rights Info
Human Rights House Foundation
Norwegian Burma Committee
Norwegian Helsinki Committee
Norwegian Tibet Committee
Voice of Tibet