Pelosi Calls for Release of Iranian Human Rights Activist Shiva Nazar Ahari

September 3, 2010

Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today calling for the release of Iranian human rights activist Shiva Nazar Ahari, who is scheduled to go on trial in Iran tomorrow on charges that can carry the death penalty. Shiva Nazar Ahari is a 26-year-old human rights activist specializing in child labor and the defense of political prisoners, and a former editor and current spokesperson for the Committee of Human Rights Reporters. Her activism and defense of political prisoners have made her a target of the Iranian government. She has been held in Tehran's Evin Prison since December 2009 and has had no access to a lawyer or an opportunity to prepare a defense.

"Shiva Nazar Ahari is a brave champion for human rights. The actions by Iranian authorities to arrest and try her under vague charges is in clear violation of international human rights standards. World leaders should send a clear message that she should be released from prison, immediately and unconditionally.

"Shiva Nazar Ahari has spent her life fighting for human rights and is a role model for women all over the world. At the age of 17, she was arrested for participating in a candlelight vigil for the victims of 9/11. She has been expelled from her university and imprisoned in solitary confinement for 33 days as a result of her activism. She has most recently been imprisoned since December 2009 without access to a lawyer or the ability to prepare a defense, both in violation of international human rights standards and Iranian law."