Forough Samienia
Forough Samienia is a woman human rights defender focusing on women’s employment, particularly in rural areas of Gilan province. She actively advocates for the One Million Signatures campaign, which seeks to eliminate discriminatory laws against women, as well as the campaign to "Stop Violence Against Women" in Iran. Samienia has contributed numerous articles on women's issues to various grassroots platforms, including Bidarzani, Feminist School, and the local journal Uja. She has a history of arrests, notably while attending the funeral of a protester killed during the November 2019 nationwide protests.
Human rights defenders and journalists are arrested, detained and prosecuted in unfair trials. HRDs continue to receive death threats and are subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention. They are refused bail or receive extreme bail conditions. HRDs are additionally subjected to systematic surveillance and their family members are targeted. Journalists have been subjected to flogging for criticising the government.
