Boycott the Islamic Republic, a Gender Apartheid Regime in Iran! Joint Statement on the Occasion of November 25, 2024
Joint Statement of Organizations and Activists Inside and Outside Iran on the Occasion of November 25, 2024
Addressed to World Governments, Especially European States
Boycott the Islamic Republic, a Gender Apartheid Regime in Iran!
We, a collective of organizations and activists inside and outside Iran, on the occasion of November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, emphasize global solidarity against gender apartheid and the oppressive Islamic Republic. Today’s Iran is the stage of a revolution led by fearless, pioneering women under the banner of “Women, Life, Freedom”, calling on the world to resist mandatory hijab, discrimination, violence, and misogynistic Islamic laws.
Names like Ahoo Daryaei, Roshanak Molaei, Arezou Badri, Arezou Khavari, and Aynaz Karimi continue the legacy of Nika Shakarami, Vida Movahed, and the “Girls of Revolution Street.” These are not just names but symbols of a women-led revolution against the hijab, misogynistic laws, and the Islamic Republic. Even today, the women’s ward of Evin Prison stands in solidarity with the streets, becoming a frontline in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution. Each of these names is a cry rising from this revolution, demonstrating an unyielding determination that no amount of repression can silence.
However, the Islamic Republic’s response to this revolution has been sheer brutality:
Killing protesters with bullets, throwing them from heights, enforced disappearances, and maiming.
Imprisonment, torture, flogging, and executions.
Shooting at women’s sexual organs and using sexual assault as a means of intimidation and fear.
In recent months, the Islamic Republic has intensified its crackdown by issuing death sentences against female political prisoners, including Sharifeh Mohammadi, Pakhshan Azizi, and Varisha Moradi, who face imminent execution, as well as against other political prisoners and detainees of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution. The objective of these acts of violence is clear: to intimidate and silence women, the main driving force of this revolution.
The regime’s repression is not confined to the streets, detention centers, and prisons. The Islamic Republic exacerbates its internal suppression through regional warmongering and support for terrorist and proxy groups, using external crises to strengthen its domestic grip. These policies aim to marginalize the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution and preserve a regime that the majority of Iranians seek to overthrow.
Our Demands to Governments:
Boycott the gender apartheid regime in Iran!
Any engagement with the Islamic Republic—a regime embodying systemic violence and organized crimes against women and society at large—only legitimizes its atrocities. Maintaining relations with this regime, which enforces violence against women through its laws, state policies, and judiciary—in essence, as a systemic practice—is a betrayal of the universal values of freedom, equality, and human dignity.
Refer the Islamic Republic’s crimes to international courts.
Repression, sexual violence, torture, and the issuance and execution of death sentences are crimes against humanity that must not go unanswered.
Make practical support for the “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution a global priority.
The “Woman, Life, Freedom” revolution is a global struggle against gender apartheid and state violence. It represents a path toward a future founded on secularism and universal human rights. Governments claiming to uphold democracy and human rights must support the fight of Iranian women and people for progressive alternatives.
We, the signatories of this statement, demand an immediate end to violence against women and Iranian society as a whole. We firmly declare that this demand can only be realized through the overthrow of the gender apartheid regime imposed on Iran. Under the slogan and banner of “Woman, Life, Freedom,” and based on the “Charter of Progressive Demands of Iranian Women,” we declare that today, any government that believes in human values, civility, security, and peace must take action to support the historic struggle of Iranian women—especially the progressive and revolutionary women—for liberation from the Islamic dictatorial regime, which is the source of gender-based, ethnic, and class discrimination, as well as the primary driver of violence.
Women, Life, Freedom!
Signatories:
*Organizations, Institutions, and Groups:
Progressive Students Organization – Iran
Freedom Seekers of Tehran North University – Iran
Freedom Seekers of Beheshti University – Iran
Student Organization “Andisheh” (Tehran University) – Iran
Alliance of Students from Alzahra University – Iran
Students Organization of Azad University, Isfahan – Iran
Kurdistan Students’ Nationwide Committee – Iran
Isfahan Industrial University Alliance – Iran
Free Voice Association (Isfahan University of Art) – Iran
A Collective of Students and Activists from Isfahan University – Iran
A Collective of Students and Activists from Shiraz University – Iran
A Collective of Students and Activists from Kurdistan University – Iran
A Collective of Students and Activists from Technical Women’s College of Sanandaj – Iran
A Collective of Students and Activists from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences – Iran
A Collective of Students and Activists from Urmia University of Medical Sciences – Iran
A Collective of Students and Activists from Azad University of Shahr-e-Qods – Iran
Revolutionary and Progressive High School Students Association – Bushehr – Iran
Revolutionary and Progressive High School Students Association – Tehran – Iran
Iranian Teachers’ Syndicate Challenge – Iran
Revolutionary Women’s Association
FEMEN International Organization
Kurdpa Human Rights Organization
Iranian LGBTQ+ Organization
Simorgh
Woman, Life, Freedom Group – Germany
Association of Victims and Justice Seekers of the Woman, Life, Freedom Uprising – Germany
Toomaj Salehi Foundation
Mehsa Revolution Republicans (JAM) – Heidelberg
House of Freedom for Turkmen
Hana Human Rights Organization
Philadelphia Iranian Group
Yar Group – Iranian Republicans of Australia
International Association of Iranian Doctors and Medical Staff (AIFA)
Canadian Iranian Physicians for Human Rights Association
Woman, Life, Freedom Group – London
Iranian Scholars for Liberty (ISL)
Solidarity Group – Sydney, Australia
AzIran Nationwide Network – Australia
Woman, Life, Freedom Committee – Montreal, Canada
National Committee – Human Rights Defense Committee in Iran
Lovers of Iran Group – Toronto
Iranian Solidarity Group – New Zealand
Iranian Women in New Zealand (IWIN)
Ensemble Pour l’Iran – Geneva
Houston Voices for Iran (HVIran)
Free Human – Cologne, Germany
Global Campaign Against Executions in Iran
Committee for Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran
Women’s Independent and Sustainable Equality Network (WISE)
Woman, Life, Freedom Association – Graz
Phénix Association – France
Balochistan Women’s Organization “Barmesh”
Human Rights Association for Azerbaijan – ARK
AzIran Group (Australia)
Hamrah.United – Germany
Campaign for the Freedom of Toomaj Salehi and Other Political Prisoners – Stockholm
Global Network for the Freedom of Political and Ideological Prisoners
Iran’s Local Youth Alliance
Committee Against Executions
Alborz Group
FEMEN Organization – France
FEMEN Organization – Germany
Mehsa Revolution Republicans
Women’s Rights Organization – Sweden
Iran Protest – Malmö, Sweden
Iran Protest – Lund, Sweden
Iran Protest – Helsingborg, Sweden
National Women’s Rights Organization – Sweden
Justice, Freedom, and Equality for All Group
Iranian Network in Norway
Iranian LGBTQ+ Organization
Iranian Queers Organization “Simorgh”
*Activists:
Hadis Sabouri – Women’s Rights Activist – Iran
Souri Babaei Chegini – Activist of Hijab-Free Campaign, Political Prisoner – Iran
Pouran Nazemi – Women’s Rights Activist – Iran
Raha Ahmadi – Advocate for Women’s and Children’s Rights – Iran
Roghieh Beikdeli – Former Political Prisoner, Women’s Rights Activist – Iran
Sara Siahpour – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Elham Rasouli – Advocate for Women and Working Children’s Rights – Iran
Reyhaneh Saeedi – Detainee of the Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution – Iran
Nadia Behari – Advocate for Women and Working Children’s Rights – Iran
Leila Mirghafari – Women’s Rights Activist – Iran
Kokab Badaqi Pegah – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Fereshteh Didani – Women’s Rights Activist – Iran
Yasaman Aryani – Women’s Rights Activist – Iran
Farangis Mazloom – Justice-Seeking Mother of Sohail Arabi, Exiled Political Prisoner – Iran
Khadijeh Mahdipour – Political Activist – Iran
Mahboubeh Farahzadi – Board Member of Tehran Teachers’ Union – Iran
Touran Soleimani – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Fariba Faridouni – Former Political Prisoner – Iran
Tara Akbarzadeh – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Reza Moslemi – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Mohammad-Ali Zahmatkesh – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Fatemeh Bahmani – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Mohammad Kord – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Mojtaba Abtahi – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Rada Mardani – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Uldouz Hashemi – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Sanaz Yekta – Activist and Former Political Prisoner – Iran
Barzan Mohammadi – Former Political Prisoner and Justice-Seeker – Iran
Ali Dasineh – Teachers’ Union Activist – Iran
Mansoureh Khosrowshahi – Retired Teacher and Justice-Seeking Family Member – Iran
Fariba Fathi – Retired Nurse – Iran
Maryam Behari – Student – Iran
Maryam Daneshvar – Iran
Aghdas Azarakhsh – Retired Teacher – Iran
Narges Zarifian – Women’s Rights Activist – Iran
Neda Pakravan – Activist for Transgender Rights – Iran
Ali Rezvani – Gay and Queer Activist – Iran
Farid Ashna – Gay and Feminist Activist – Iran
Mehran Hamidi – Gay, Queer Movement Activist, and Member of the Executive Board of the Iranian LGBTQ+ Organization – Iran
Sara Mohammadi – Intersex and LGBTQ+ Rights Activist – Iran
Shirin Shams – Member of the Revolutionary Women’s Organization
Fariba Baluch – Winner of the International Women of Courage Award 2024, U.S. Department of State
Elham Modarresi – Activist and Victim of the Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution
Elaheh Ejbari – Women’s Rights Activist from Balochistan
Shahnaz Mortab – Women’s Rights Activist and Justice-Seeking Family Member of PS752 Flight Victims
Mahshid Nazemi – Women’s Rights Activist
Sara Ghorbani – Women’s Rights Activist
Azadeh Davachi – Women’s Rights Activist
Yasmin Mohammed – Women’s Rights Activist and Author of Unveiled (Saudi Arabia)
Mahin Alipour – Head of the National Women’s Rights Organization
Marjan Arvandi – Researcher and University Professor
Shiva Ganji – Journalist and Women’s Rights Activist
Golin Shirzad – Women’s Rights Activist
Ovin Mostafazadeh – Human and Women’s Rights Activist
Mohammad Hashemi – Civil Rights Activist and Justice-Seeking Family Member of Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution
Sanaz Safaei – Artist and Women’s Rights Activist
Mojgan Keshavarz – Women’s Rights Activist
Yahya Sarkhani – Civil and Environmental Activist, Victim of Ocular Injury from the Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution
Niyereh Ansari – Lawyer, Expert in International and European Law
Shohreh Pakravan – Justice-Seeking Mother of Reyhaneh Jabbari
Shilan Mirzayi – Political Activist
Majid Movaqq – Victim of Ocular Injury from the Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution
Mahmoud Abdi – Victim of the Woman, Life, Freedom Uprising, Editorial Member of Rojman News Site
Kian Azar – Secretary of the Communist Youth Organization
Fatemeh Khoshrou – Former Political Prisoner and Witness at the November 2019 Court
Maria Mahmoudi – Justice-Seeking Spouse of Mohammad Faramarzi, Martyr for Freedom
Mina Karami – Justice-Seeking Sister of Ramin Karami, Martyr of the Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution
Morad Moallem – Spokesperson for the National Front of Iran Abroad
Mohammad Yousefi – Civil Rights Activist
Davood Hadadi-Manesh – Former Political Prisoner
Saba Alaleh – Clinical Psychologist, Political and Social Psychoanalyst
Ali Qolilou – Women’s Rights Activist and Former Political Prisoner
Iman Aghayari – Political Activist
