Homa Hoodfar

She is a retired professor of Anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal. A researcher on women's rights in Islamic societies, she returned to Iran after her husband's passing and was later arrested for her studies. The Iranian regime has arrested and imprisoned many academicians and researchers in recent years

<coverage-outsourcing id='6975'> Security forces of the IRGC entered her home, confiscated her personal belongings including her computer, cell phone, passport, and documents. Following her arrest, despite the fact that she was not allowed to leave the country, she was prompted to post collateral in order to be temporarily released. She was called in for questioning multiple times </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='6763'> It was reported that she was summoned to Evin Court and arrested. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='6887'> Radio Farda reported that more than 170 established professors of the humanities from various institutions across Europe and the US penned a letter requesting the immediate release of the defendant and her return to Canada </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8706'> In a letter to the supreme leader of Iran, members of Canadian Council of Muslim Women asked for the release of Homa Houdfar; stating: > We are at a loss to understand why she has been arrested </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='6886'> Mizan News, which has ties to the Judiciary, reported that Abbas Jafar Dolat Abadi, the Tehran Prosecutor, stated the defendant: > Took part in circles of feminism and security crimes and her case is being reviewed in the Tehran Court </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='6974'> neurological condition known as Myasthenia Gravis (MG), and that she suffered a mild stroke last year. Ms. Hoodfar's family said that translating the Quran (according to websites close to security organizations, she had done a feminist translation' of the Quran), and informing women of their rights cannot be considered a crime, and that it is inappropriate to liken WLUML, an organization she collaborates with, with organizations such as Hivos which are dedicated to supporting human rights activists. The statement further adds that Ms. Hoodfar has a 40-year career, is well-known in international academic circles, and has previously traveled to Egypt, Pakistan, and Indonesia for her research on the conditions of women, and has never been questioned by any of these governments. "With or without Professor Hoodfar, women in Iran have been actively working to obtain their civil rights for the past 100 years, and need not be provoked or funded by outside power to do so." </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='7373'> The US State Department issued a statement condemning the arrests of Siamak Namazi, Homa Hoodfar, Nazanin Zagheri, and Nezar Zeka, all of whom are dual citizens or foreing citizens. Their arrests were called unjust and their immediate release was requested </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8077'> Amnesty International published a report regarding women's rights activists: > The fact that officials of the Islamic Republic equate Dr. Hoodfar's valuable work for women's rights in Islamic societies with Islamic crimes is a scary notion </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8748'> While emphasizing "the exacerbation of Iran's human rights violation history", Amnesty International Canada requested the immediate and unconditional release of Homa Houdfar </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8629'> BBC Persian reported that according to her family, the judge is trying to replace Houdfar's own attorney with another attorney </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8628'> In an announcement her family informed the public about her hospitalization outside the prison. It is mentioned in the statement that "Iranian authorities have informed them that Ms. Houdfar has been hospitalized due to <rapid deterioration of health>, and she can hardly walk or talk." According to the statement, the Concordia professor has suffered "severe vertigo and debility". According to the prisoner's family, the prosecutor has charged her, and therefore she has to be sent to general ward after being officially charged, but she is still being kept in solitary confinement under the Revolutionary Guard's control </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8704'> In a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada, Reza Pahlavi asked the Canadian government to make efforts for the release of Saeed Malekpour and Homa Houdfar </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8703'> Her sister Katayoon Houdfar told Radio Farda that her sister was kept in solitary confinement for three months </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8784'> Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in the Iranian congress, said this about this commission's latest meeting with the heads of the Revolutionary Guard: > It was stated in this meeting that people with dual citizenship are heavily targetted by the enemy's intelligence services and are used in their infiltration projects." In the language of those closely tied to the Iranian regime, the term "Infiltration Project is used for close political, social, cultural, and sometimes economic relations between Iran and the West ever since the nuclear deal was made </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8979'> In a gathering in front of the Iranian embassy in Dublin, a group of academicians voiced their objection to the arrest of Homa Houdfar </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8980'> According to Zamaneh, Homa Houdfar's colleagues and researchers at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada have started a campaign for her freedom. As yet they have gathered five thousand signatures from university professors from across the world in support of Houdfar's freedom </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9142'> Sarah Lea Whitson, head of Middle East department of Human Rights Watch Organization stated that the trial of Nazanin Zaghari has no resemblance to a fair trial and it is what passes for "justice" in the notorious Revolutionary Courts in Iran. She asked for her immediate release. The website of this organization also wrote that her defense attorney has only been able to meet with her three months after all the interrogations were done and when there were just three days left to her trial. Human Rights Watch website also added that Robin Shahini's attorney was not allowed to view the documents and evidence against him. Also mentioned in this report are Homa Houdfar, Siamack Namazi, Mohamad Bagher Namazi, Jason Rezaian, and Kamal Foroughi. Whitson also stated that: > The sudden increase in persecution of dual citizens seems to be an attempt by the hardliners in the government to isolate this country from the international cimmunity </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9201'> 20 former U.N Human Rights special rapporteurs published a statement requesting her immediate freedom </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9377'> The foreign secretaries of Iran and Canada met for the first time after two countries cut all ties. It has been said that Homa Houdfar case was possibly one of the issues discussed </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9376'> According to Irna, Bahram Ghassemi, the spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, announced Homa Houdfar's freedom and said her release was "due to humanitarian reasons including illness." According to Bahram Ghassemi, on Monday afternoon Homa Houdfar returned to Canada through Oman </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9397'> On a side note of the meeting between Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei and Hossein Bin Ali Bin Zaher Alhalali, Oman's attorney general, Ejei said: > Homa Houdfar's bail was set at 150 million Tomans which was then raised to 500 million tomans and she was released after it was paid. Mohseni Ejei stated that providing the bail of 500 million Tomans took some time, and said he was not aware whether Houdfar was barred from leaving the country or not. The deputy chief of Iranian judiciary rejected any connections between Homa Houdfar's release and Oman's attorney general's visit to Iran </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9643'> In an interview with CBS News, she said her interrogators psychologically tortured her by playing sad songs which were played at her husband's funeral. She also claimed that she is a victim of Iran's domestic political disputes </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9935'> During a visit to Fars News, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic said that Homa Houdfar's release was not related to Zarif's negotiation with his peer </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9828'> She told BBC Persian that she was psychologically tortured in Evin prison. She claimed that "The Revolutionary Guard would use me to delegitimize the Iranian government abroad." She also claimed that the interrogators told her that they would send her back to Canada either in a coffin or a wheelchair. A few days later the attorney general of Tehran province referred to her statements as "lies" </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='9769'> According to Mehr, the Judiciary spokesperson said about her case: "Houdfar's case is open and it will go to court whenever the judge decides </coverage-outsourcing>