Atena Farghadani

Atena Farghadani (Persian: آتنا فرقدانی‎‎, born 29 January 1987) is an Iranian artist and political activist, who was imprisoned for 18 months. Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience.[1] She was released May 3rd 2016.[2]

In her cartoon, in which she criticized a draft law which would outlaw voluntary sterilisation and restrict access to measures of birth control, she portrayed Iranian government officials as monkeys and goats. After publishing her artworks on Facebook, she was arrested in August 2014 and jailed for three months in Evin Prison in Tehran on charges of spreading propaganda, insulting members of parliament, and insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran. She was released in November.[3]

Farghadani sent letters of protest over her treatment to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, Hassan Rouhani, the President, and the Head of the Prison Service, but did not receive a reply. She then posted a video online in which she explained to the public about her experience in Evin prison and that she was being strip-searched, beaten and verbally abused by guards. In January 2015, she was arrested again.[3] Three weeks later, she went on a hunger strike to protest against conditions at the prison. She suffered a heart attack in late February 2015.[4]

On 1 June 2015, judge Abolghassem Salavati of the Tehran court found her guilty on these charges and sentenced her to 12 years and nine months in prison.[5] It is believed that she is held in Gharchak jail.[3]

In September 2015, Farghadani was charged with an "illegitimate sexual relationship short of adultery" and "indecent conduct" after shaking the hand of her lawyer Mohammad Moghimi, who visited her in prison after her trial; Moghimi was also charged. She was reported to have gone on a hunger strike in protest.[3]

Draw4Atena

After an open letter by US-based campaign group Cartoonists Rights Network International,[6] and an appeal by cartoonist Michael Cavna in Washington Post.,[7] the artists and cartoonists around the world began sharing their cartoons across social media to help raise awareness of her case. The #draw4atena hashtag was created in social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The Guardian has accepted these cartoons to share them globally.[8]

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Imprisoned Iranian artist Atena Farghadani on hunger strike". amnesty.org. Amnesty International. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  2. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/05/04/cartoonist-atena-farghadani-sentenced-for-satirizing-government-as-animals-is-freed-in-iran/
  3. 1 2 3 4 Battersby, Matilda (2015-09-09). "Satirical cartoonist to have 12 year prison term extended over handshake". The Independent. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  4. ↑ "Iranian artist goes on trial for cartoon mocking draft law". bbc.com. BBC News. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Free Atena, imprisoned for drawing cartoons in Iran". amnesty.org.uk. Amnesty International UK. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  6. ↑ Open Letter of Cartoonists Rights Network International
  7. ↑ Michael Cavna's call for supporting cartoons
  8. ↑ The Guardian


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