February 9, 2004
Human Rights First is concerned for the safety of Yanar Mohammed, a women’s rights activist and founder of the Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq, who reports receiving a recent e-mail containing death threats. According to Ms. Mohammed, the e-mail message had the title “Re: Killing Yanar within a few days” and purported to be from a group calling itself the Army of Sahaba. The message told Ms. Mohammed to stop her activities to promote women’s rights in Iraq, or she would be killed.
Yanar Mohammed is among a number of women’s rights advocates who have launched a campaign against Iraqi Governing Council resolution 137, adopted in December 2003. This resolution seeks to replace Iraqi laws dealing with personal status with Islamic law, administered by clerics. According to women’s rights activists, such a change in the law would have the effect of denying a range of fundamental rights to women.
Human Rights First is deeply disturbed by the apparent attempts being made to silence Ms Mohammed and intimidate those who to defend women’s rights in Iraq. Human rights defenders such as Ms. Mohammed play a crucial role in Iraq’s development towards democracy and respect for the rule of law. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) should therefore support their work, ensure their protection, and immediately investigate any threats and attacks against them.
The CPA and the Iraqi Governing Council should act in accordance with the 1998 United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which requires states to “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 their work to promote and protect human rights. Moreover, representing the Occupying Power in Iraq, the CPA has a general obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of the civilian population in Iraq. The CPA should therefore take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Ms. Mohammed and to monitor closely the situation of women’s rights and human rights activists in Iraq, who may be subjected to threats, intimidation and violent attacks.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Please write to Paul Bremer, the Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, as well as to, Dr Adnan Pachachi, the Head of the Iraqi Governing Council, urging them to ensure the protection of Yanar Mohammed and other women’s rights activists in Iraq. Remind them of the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, as well as the obligation to protect all members of the population from violent attacks.
A model letter for transmission to the authorities in Iraq is attached below. Please send your letters to:
Mr. Paul Bremer
Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority
c/o The Consul in Iraq
Fax: 1-703-270-0212
Email: payneba@orha.centcom.mil
Dr Adnan Pachachi
Head of the Iraqi Governing Council
C/o Rend Rahim Francke
Representative of the Governing Council to the United States
The Iraq Foundation
1012 14th Street, NW
Suite 1110
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: 202 347 7897
We also encourage you to also send copies of your letter to:
Ms. Hina Jilani
UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNOG-OHCHR
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
An electronic version of this letter can also be sent through Human
Rights First web-site
* * * * * * *
Dear Sirs:
I am extremely concerned for the safety of Yanar Mohammed, a women’s rights activist and founder of the Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq, who reports receiving a recent e-mail containing death threats. According to Ms. Mohammed, the e-mail message had the title “Re: Killing Yanar within a few days” and purported to be from a group calling itself the Army of Sahaba. The message told Ms. Mohammed to stop her activities to promote women’s rights in Iraq, or she would be killed.
This threat appears to be an attempt to silence Ms Mohammed and intimidate those who to defend women’s rights in Iraq. Human rights defenders such as Ms. Mohammed play a crucial role in the development of Iraq towards democracy and the rule of law. Their work must therefore be supported, their protection ensured, and any threats and attacks against them immediately investigated. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) should act in accordance with the 1998 United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which requires states to “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 their work to promote and protect human rights. Moreover, the CPA has a general obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of the civilian population in Iraq.
I therefore call upon you to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Ms. Mohammed and to monitor closely the situation of women’s rights and human rights activists in Iraq, who may be subjected to threats, intimidation and violent attacks. It is also imperative that you send a strong message that human rights defenders are an important part of Iraq’s development and that their work is supported and encouraged.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,