IWJF and “Sawtoha” Network refuse the squeeze campaigns women face in Basrah and demand protecting them

Baghdad:iwjf

The IWJF and “Sawtoha” Network for Women Human Rights Defenders condemn the recent attacks on a group of female activists and civil society organizations participating in the demonstrations that took place in Basra by a campaign of weak-minded people via social media sites.

We also want to clarify that the constitution guaranteed the right to demonstrate and the freedom of expression. What happened is a clear violation of the freedoms guaranteed by the constitution, charters and the international ones, and our observation of women’s actions in the demonstrations in Basra only proved to all the size of the spirit of belonging and patriotism they have, through their support for their brothers the men and humanitarian organizations, in addition to their role in raising awareness of the importance of peaceful protest and non-infringement of public property and demanding the improvement of services, which is a legitimate requirement all agree on. And the sabotaging that has happened during the demonstrations requires an impartial investigation by the government to reveal the circumstances of what happened, and not to drag male and female activists and humanitarian organizations into actions of purely political dimensions.

This is why we call upon the government, the security authorities and other parties of concern to provide adequate protection to our male and female activist colleagues in order to ensure their safety and protect their dignity from any immoral and inhuman act that jeopardizes their lives and the lives of their families.