My vigil for Iran
I was just one of a group of Amnesty International activists who joined around 500 members of Sydney’s Iranian community for a candlelight vigil on Sunday evening.
Despite heavy rain we continued our show of solidarity, remembering those who have died fighting for freedom in Iran, calling for respect for the rights of the Iranian people and an end to violence against peaceful demonstrators.
Series of human rights abuses
The number of rights abuses by Iranian authorities since the 16 June elections continues to grow. Amnesty International has seen:
- An election which can not be declared free nor fair,
- Peaceful demonstrations and assemblies attacked,
- Political prisoners detained and thought to be at risk of torture or ill-treatment,
- Severe restrictions on flow of information and freedom of expression,
- Journalists detained and their whereabouts unknown,
- Use of excessive force, including beating and clubbing with truncheons and in some cases live ammunition in response to demonstrations,
- The use of paramilitary Basaj to repress dissent.
Video and updates from citizens coming out of Iran continue to shock and compel action.
A global protest
Sunday’s vigil was one of hundred of protests occurring globally this weekend, as Iranians and supporters speak out against repression and irregularities of Iran’s election.
On Friday, office workers in London took their lunch hour to protest at the Iranian embassy, in Melbourne a simultaneous vigil was held on Sunday and the past week has seen a number of protests throughout the US.
The movement throughout the world is calling for an end to violence, a recount of votes after a result which has largely been seen as not credible and has a strong sense of solidarity with those protesting in the face of violent reprisals yet risking their lives to have their voice heard.
Make a difference
Amnesty International have a number of actions you can take to encourage the Iranian government to protect the basic rights of its people. Please
- send an email calling for an end to violence against protesters
- and for the release of political prisoners detained for peacefully protesting or their links to opposition candidates.
These two actions take less than a minute and pail in insignificance compared to the efforts of those fighting for their basic rights in Iran …
With developments each day, an easy way to stay in touch with what’s happening is by signing up to Amnesty’s email updates (letting you know when they need your help and how you can take action about once a week). You can also start following @AmnestyOz on twitter or become a fan of their Facebook page for regular news and action updates.