News Center — During the recent protests, Iran has witnessed a wide wave of violations particularly targeting women. Human rights organizations have documented arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, and the denial of access to healthcare, amid escalating security repression against women demonstrators in various cities, especially in East Kurdistan.

On Wednesday, January 7, the Free Women’s Movement (TJA) issued a statement regarding the ongoing protests in Iran and East Kurdistan and the attacks carried out by security forces against civilians. In the statement, the movement condemned the assaults and arrests targeting women in many areas.

The statement read:
“The developments in Iran and East Kurdistan show that the deepening political and social crisis in the country has resulted in severe consequences, particularly for women and the Kurdish people. The popular uprising that erupted in protest against the economic crisis and political repression quickly turned into a demand for freedom and justice with strong female participation. The regime’s response was a wave of arrests and detentions, limitless violence, and massacres. Women have played a significant role in this process, and with the resistance of women in East Kurdistan and Iran, the authorities have increasingly placed women at the center of their security policies. Therefore, these interventions should not be understood as coincidental, but as the result of a specific political approach.”

The statement noted that since December 28, at least 990 people have been arrested, 19 civilians killed, and more than 50 others injured, with most victims coming from cities in East Kurdistan. This, the statement said, reflects the security policies in East Kurdistan and highlights the human rights violations taking place there.

It further stated that among the victims were women and children, and that women in particular have suffered significant harm as a result of these events. At least 40 women were arbitrarily detained in their homes, universities, and other locations during the demonstrations. The statement emphasized that denying injured women access to healthcare, threatening them with arrest, and other such practices constitute a blatant violation of the right to life and fundamental rights. The killing of Sagar Etemadi was cited as a clear example of the seriousness of the situation.

The statement stressed that ongoing violence against women increases pressure on society and weakens prospects for finding a solution:
“Since 2022, women’s demands have centered on a life free from violence—a dignified and equal life. This demand represents an aspiration not only for the future of women, but for the future of society as a whole.”

In its statement, the movement called on Iranian authorities to adhere to international law and human rights standards and to put an end to the arrest and repression of women:
“Women detained for participating in demonstrations, as well as all political prisoners, must be released. The use of lethal force by security forces must stop, practices of torture and threats of sexual violence must end, and transparent, effective, and independent investigations into the ongoing violations must be launched.”

The statement also drew attention to the unacceptable silence of the international community in the face of these grave violations against women in Iran, emphasizing that women’s demands for equality and freedom are legitimate and must be addressed through dialogue and human rights–based approaches, not through violence or torture.

The Free Women’s Movement concluded its statement by reaffirming its continued support for women in Iran and East Kurdistan, calling on women, democratic public opinion, and international actors to take a clear and decisive stance to protect women’s right to life and their fundamental freedoms.