SPRINGWOOD New South Wales, Australia
Town Square — organized by concerned citizen Gaby Grammeno
Friends and family came out to assist the event organizer with raising awareness of Sakineh’s case in the local community.
SYDNEY Australia
QVB (Town Hall end near statue) – organized by concerned citizen Kathryn Gaffney
The protest was held at what is probably the busiest intersection in Sydney’s Central Business District. It all went well and people were interested. Signs were left stuck to the plinth of the statue that was at the protest site so people could continue to read them for as long as they are allowed to remain there. All the bus shelters at one of the busiest bus stops in Sydney were “spammed” with signs and flyers!
VIENNA Austria
St. Stephan’s Platz — organized by Mission Free Iran with indispensible assistance from Vera
On July 24, 2010, designated as International Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Day, Iranian and non-Iranian activists gathered at St. Stephan’s Platz in the center of Vienna, Austria. Rainy weather did not keep the activists away, nor did it dissuade the people who wanted to express their disgust with the Islamic Republic’s treatment of Ashtiani and others like her.
Upon arriving at 5pm, we began setting up a table for petition-signing and leaflet distribution. We also hung posters about Sakineh, about stoning, and about others at risk of execution in Iran like Zeinab Jalalian (political prisoner) and Mohammad-Reza Haddadi (imprisoned at age 15 to await execution upon reaching age of majority).
As soon as people in the busy square realized that we had come to campaign for Sakineh, they crowded around the table to sign the petition demanding Sakineh’s immediate and unconditional freedom even before we finished setting the table up. Almost everyone had already heard about Sakineh’s story and only wanted to know what they could do to help.
Some people asked whether the campaign was really having an effect, and we were able to tell them, unequivocally: yes – without the global outcry against the barbaric treatment of Sakineh, she would have been stoned to death weeks ago. Instead, the regime has reacted by delaying the implementation of her sentence in hopes that international attention will dissipate, allowing them to execute Sakineh in secret. We made sure that every person who approached was aware that it is their voice, joined with the voices of people around the world, that can make a difference for Sakineh, and by extension for so many others suffering under the brutality of the Islamic Republic.
Because of the international diversity of the crowd at St. Stephen’s Platz, our group of volunteer activists fully exercised their linguistic abilities to tell Sakineh’s story to passers-by in Arabic, English, Farsi, and German. Notably, several men and women visiting Vienna from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the Middle East, stopped by to sign the petition to free Sakineh Ashtiani.
In addition to providing an opportunity to sign a petition for Sakineh, we also handed out two leaflets, in German and English:
1) A sample letter for people to use to write to their Foreign Ministry or State Department to demand the implementation of diplomatic sanctions in protest against the criminal acts of the Islamic Republic against Sakineh and others like her;
2) A flyer that is also a letter to Ban-Ki Moon demanding the removal of the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
We also had a mock stoning at the protest, in which one of the activists was wrapped in a white shroud covered in splotches of red paint, to represent the wounds inflicted on stoning victims before they are killed.
Mission Free Iran would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the local activists who made this protest possible: Bonny, Fariba, and especially Vera, who went above and beyond in every way to ensure the undeniable success of International Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Day in Vienna.
The July 24 international protests were organized by the International Committee Against Execution, Mission Free Iran, the International Committee Against Stoning, and Iran Solidarity.
OTTAWA Canada
In front of Parliament Hill – organized by Iran Solidarity
TORONTO Canada
In front of CBC News — organized by Iran Solidarity
VANCOUVER Canada
In front of the Art Gallery on Robson Street — organized by Iran Solidarity Vancouver
BIRMINGHAM England
In front of the central library — organized by concerned citizen ()
Salma Yaqoob attended:
http://www.salmayaqoob.com/2010/01/salma-yaqoob_31.html
CHICHESTER England
Town Centre, East street, in front of the old boots shop — organized by concerned citizen ()
EGHAM England
Royal Holloway College, University of London, South Quad, Founders Building — organized by concerned students
LONDON England
Trafalgar Square — organized by Iran Solidarity UK
RICHMOND England
Outside Richmond Railway station, Kew Road, Richmond Surrey — organized by ()
PARIS France
In front of the Iranian Embassy in Paris — organized by the Ligue du Droit International des Femmes
Journée contre la lapidation devant l’ambassade d’Iran
Report from website:
La Ligue du droit international des Femmes
Association créée par Simone de Beauvoir
Mouvement Pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme
Paris, le 24/7/2010
COMMUNIQUE
Objet : journée internationale ‘Sakineh’ pour en finir avec la lapidation
Ce samedi 24 juillet 2010 à 14 heures, à Paris, dans le cadre de la journée internationale Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, contre la lapidation, une délégation de la Ligue du Droit International des Femmes et du Mouvement Pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme, s’est rendue à l’Ambassade de la République islamique d’Iran, afin de remettre une lettre de protestation destinée à l’ambassadeur d’Iran et aux autorités judiciaires iraniennes (l’ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, Guide Suprême, et l’ayatollah Sadegh Ardeshir-Larijani, Ministre de la Justice).
Cette lettre demandait justice pour Sakineh dont le cas témoigne de la barbarie d’une pratique archaïque qui devrait être retirée du code pénal iranien.
Bien que les associations organisatrices aient demandé à être reçues, l’Ambassade est restée hermétiquement close. Un émissaire de l’Ambassade est sorti pour dire aux forces de l’ordre présentes qu’en aucun cas la délégation ne serait reçue. Après un nouveau moment d’attente et d’échanges avec leurs interlocuteurs officiels français, les services de l’Ambassade ont fait connaître leur refus de permettre que les courriers soient même déposés dans la boite à lettre de l’Ambassade.
Une telle attitude témoigne sans doute aussi de la crainte des représentants de la République Islamique d’Iran, face au mouvement international qui se mobilise autour du cas de Sakineh et contre la barbarie d’une justice qui n’est que brutalité.
Le moment est venu de créer les conditions d’un élargissement de ce mouvement. Nous faisons appel à l’ensemble des mouvements de défense des droits humains, féministes et démocrates pour lancer une campagne unitaire et fédératrice. Objectifs : libération de Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, libération de tous les prisonniers politiques iraniens et l’abolition de la lapidation. Nous en appelons en particulier à Human Rights Watch et Amnesty International.
Etaient présent-es devant l’Ambassade d’Iran en solidarité avec Sakineh :
des membres de la LICRA, d’ UMP Jeunesse, de la Ligue internationale des femmes pour la paix et la liberté, de la Coalition Internationale Contre les Crimes d’honneur, de Femmes en Noir et de la rédaction de Riposte Laïque
contacts France avec les présidentes de la LDIF et du MPCT:
LDIF, Annie Sugier 06 38 39 42 92
MPCT, Huguette Chomski Magnis 06 66 26 42 23
TBILISI Georgia
In front of the Embassy of Iran — organized by a group of concerned citizens of Georgia
On July 24, in many cities around the world demonstrations were held against death sentence of Sakineh Ashtiani. In Tbilisi, capital of Georgia at 13.00-15.00 pm, a demonstration was held in front of the Embassy of Iran. This time, around 35 people protested against death penalty in Iran. Main messages were abolishing death penalty and expressing solidarity with Sakine and many other people sentenced to death in Iran. Protesters also read excerpts from poems “mara bebus” (kiss me!), written by one of the people sentenced to death the day before his execution in early 20th in Iran and “abi, khakestari, siah” (Blue, grey, black) by Hamid Mosadeq. Both poems are considered symbols of freedom and are used during different protests in Iran.
The protest garnered significant press coverage within Georgia:
– “How many touman does each stone cost?” from Netgazeti
– Freedom for Iranian Women from Caucasus Internet Media group
BERLIN Germany
Breitsheidtplatz, opposite of Gedächtniskirche — organized by Sohela Jandi and CODE e.V.
Report from Iranian TV Berlin on 24 Juli Protest gegen steinigungen
BREMEN Germany
Marktplatz — organized by ()
COLOGNE Germany
Dom Plate — organized by (); report forthcoming
FRANKFORT Germany
Hauptwache in City Centre — organized by ();
MUNICH Germany
Tollwood, in front of the Buddha Bar — organized by concerned citizen Petra Plotz
Event report: I had been on Tollwood on July 24, it is an alternative festival in Munich, I will open my album for you so you can have an idea what kind of festival it is. I have been in front of the Buddha Bar on Tollwood handing out flyers I printed Saturday morning in the office, with a photo of Sakineh and a part of her children’s letter and some information about Sakineh’s destiny.
As it was raining, raining, raining the whole day, I didn’t urge anyone anymore to stay there with me, normally I am always togehter with Uli (von Sanden and other Munich friends), but Saturday I was there alone and because of the bad weather and the “one woman show” I didn’t make any photos. But I had a lot of good talks to people who were really interested. Some of them knew me already because I have been there before several times for our photo action A FACE FOR FREEDOM IN IRAN. I have their email adresses and I will invite them to follow Sakineh on Facebook. Thus, Maria, not presentable at the Media, unfortunately, I would have prefered otherwise, but I had a good feeling in informing people really interested. And concerning Munich. Count on me. I prefer being on the street always for Sakineh.
VENICE Italy
Parco di Villa Franchin, Viale Garibaldi — organized by the International Committee against Execution
Mina Ahadi’s speech on International Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Day
AMSTERDAM Netherlands
Beurs Plein — organized by the International Committee Against Execution
OSLO Norway
In front of the Parliament — organized by the Worker-communist Party of Iran
MANILA Philippines
Iranian embassy compound — organized by concerned citizen Marshal Shokouhi
The protesters were not allowed to go inside the gate where the Islamic Republic’s Embassy was situation. However, they burned the flag of the Islamic Republic in front of the Embassy in protest.
EDINBURGH Scotland
Bottom of The Mound — organized by The AIM (Anti-Injustice Movement)
Anti-Injustice Movement members protested in Edinburgh – almost 100 petitions were signed by passers by and some had their photograph taken holding a picture of Sakineh to show their support. I have attached the photos.
It felt so good to be speaking to people about the case and was great to know that so many people are already aware of it. I also got almost 100 signatures in the campaign to get Iran removed from The UNCSW. I already posted about 65 from when I was in London on June 20th so I will post these tomorrow. They are a mix of letters to the UK Prime Minister and petitions to the UN. I hope it all makes the difference we want it to!
BORåS Sweden
Stortorget — organized by ()
GOTENBURG Sweden
Bronzparken — organized by ()
MALMO Sweden
Davidshalls Bron between Triangeln and Gustav Adolfs Torg. — organized by the Worker-communist Party of Iran
STOCKHOLM Sweden
Mintorget — organized by ()
Photo credit: Hasan Salehi
DALLAS Texas, USA
Corner of Houston & Alem, downtown — organized by concerned citizen; report forthcoming
NEW YORK CITY, USA
Union Square — organized by concerned citizen Ally Kins
Event Report: Got 150 flyers distributed over two plus hours, and 20 or so small posters posted all over. Thousands walked by – BUSY sidewalk, bus stop, subway entrance and busy stores – and heard our words about how torturous and barbaric stoning is.
WASHINGTON DC, USA
In front of the Islamic Republic Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy (2209 Wisconsin Ave NW) — organized by the Worker-communist Party of Iran
برای ایران آزاد mission free iran 
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