Iranian-Kurdish woman Zeynab Jalalian has dedicated her life to empowering women and girls. For her advocacy, Zaynab has spent the last 15 years behind bars, where she is currently serving a life prison sentence.
In Iran, millions of women and girls face discrimination, daily harassment, and violence. For decades, brave women like Zeynab have risked their lives challenging these horrific injustices, and calling for a future where the human rights of women and girls are upheld.
Zeynab was an advocate for women and girls with the political arm of Party for Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK). Her involvement was aimed at the empowerment of women belonging to the Kurdish minority, and Kurdish self-determination.
Today, Zeynab languishes in a prison cell thousands of kilometres away from her family, making it difficult for her elderly parents to visit her. In detention, she has been subject to beatings and threats of sexual violence. Interrogators from the ministry of intelligence have told her that unless she makes “confessions” and works with them, they will continue to deny her access to healthcare and keep her far away from her family.
Zaynab's health is deteriorating - she has trouble breathing, and is currently at risk of losing her eyesight due to a worsening eye condition that her family believe are a result of her injuries from torture.
But Zeynab has not surrendered hope - and neither should we. In February 2023, Iranian women’s rights activist Yasaman Aryani was released from prison after nearly 4 years. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world spoke out for Yasaman’s freedom. Together, we can do the same for Zeynab.
Call for the Iranian authorities to immediately release Zeynab, by signing the petition now.