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Shadi sadr
By IHRV | October 15, 2009
Shadi Sadr is a court lawyer, journalist and an activist working on feminist rights in Iran.
Ms. Sadr was born in 1974, and she began her activities at the early age of 15, writing articles in the monthly publications Sorosh Nojavan and Hahshahri.
After graduating from law school, Ms. Sadr accepted work as a legal counselor for the publication Zan (woman).
Ms. Sadr is founder and chief editor of the Zanan Iran (Iranian Women) web site. The site is the first such network, designed to distribute information and promote knowledge sharing among feminist activists in Iran; it began its work in early 2000. Ms. Sadr is also active in publishing articles on the “Maydan Zanan” (Women Arena) web site and a she is also a member of the Volunteer Lawyers Group.
Ms. Sadr, along with a number of feminist activists, began a “Laws without Stoning” campaign in 2006. The campaign is active in forcing the reversal of brutal stoning laws and defends those who have been sentenced to this horrific punishment.
Organizing the non-profit Rahi (Empowerment Skills) Institute is among the other accomplishments of Ms. Sadr. The institution was organized in August of 2004, and its mission is focused on empowering women to eradicate any form of legal or functional discrimination imposed on them, by offering legal consultations, holding training workshops and promoting education based on a sole belief in the fundamentality of human rights. In late 2006, the Islamic revolutionary court ordered the closure of the institution.
In 2009, this human rights activist won the human rights prize “Lech Walesa”, shared between Ms. Sadr, Laudan and Roya Boromand. The main reason cited for granting the prize to Ms. Sadr involved efforts made by this lawyer/civil rights activist against stoning laws.
In 2005, Ms. Sadr received the “Ida B. Wells” prize for showing courage in journalism.
In 2003, the first prize in the Social Articles category, and in 2008, first prize in the Special Columns category, were awarded to Ms. Sadr during the Iran Press festival.
Ms. Sadr has been arrested twice for her work on human rights issues. Her initial arrest took place on March 3, 2005 in front of the revolutionary court in Tehran. On that date, Ms. Sadr and thirty-two other activists from the feminist movement who had assembled in front of the court were detained. The gathering was organized as a show of support on behalf of Parvin Ardelan, Noshin Ahmadi-Khorasani, Susan Tahmasbi, Fariba Davoudi-Mohajer and Shahla Entesari.
Ms. Sadr appeared in court to represent Ms. Entesari when she was detained, along with other protesting activists. After spending two weeks in detention, she was freed in the middle of March 2007.
On July 17, 2009, during mass protest rallies against the results of the presidential election, the activist was arrested by plainclothes agents. Ms. Sadr was released on July 28, 2009 after 11 days detention in Evin Prison.
Ms. Sard is married to Hossein Nilchian and has a daughter named Darya.
Topics: Human Rights defenders Profile |