In Iran,
remaining silent is what the evil regime prefers every slave of the
dictatorship to abide by. However, one such brave woman refuses to obey this
requirement and her name is Atena Daemi. Atena is well known for her “anti
execution” campaign and this is one of the reasons that she is treated so
harshly by the government!
Atena stands strong for
life and humanity, which is the total opposite of this “culture of death!” She
is passionate about fighting for women’s rights, children’s rights, and for the
vulnerable victims suffering on death row. Even while in prison, she is busy
writing letters to the government protesting against the inhumane conditions
and letting her voice be heard all over the internet.
Atena’s father was
alongside her when she was sentenced in the Islamic’s court of justice. Her
father Hosein wrote, “I’ll never forget when they brought Atena to court!”
Judge Moghiseh: “Are you against
execution?”
Atena:
“Yes, I am against execution."
Judge Moghiseh: “It’s
none of your business. We execute whoever we want! And those human rights
people can’t stop us!”
Atena: “One day you will answer for those
innocent people you hang. And that day is coming soon!”
Judge
Moghiseh expelled Atena from the courtroom and sentenced her to 14 years in
prison.
For more than 41 years,
this evil regime has terrorized and murdered its own people. Atena has refused
to remain silent, trying to restore hope and freedom to her homeland. In her
never-ending battle against this dictatorship, Atena has also been fighting a
personal battle of her own. She has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,
while also suffering with persistent dizziness and numbness in her right eye.
The medical physician in Qarchak Prison requested that she be given an MRI to
confirm his diagnosis and the prison officials vehemently denied his request.
In addition to her recent suspected illness, Atena has also been suffering with
high blood pressure, kidney stones, and gall bladder problems brought on by
hunger strikes. Atena, now 31, has been behind bars since 2016, serving a
seven-year prison sentence for meeting with the families of political
prisoners, criticizing the Iranian regime on Facebook, and condemning the 1988
mass execution.
Atena’s parents are deeply
concerned about their daughter and have been publicly outspoken to the
international communities, begging human rights defenders to be her voice. Her
mother longs for the day when she can once again hug her daughter in a free
Iran. Atena also longs for the day when her homeland will be free from gender
apartheid and its rules, and where women will once again be respected instead
of being treated like second-class citizens. Hosein Daemi knows how courageous
his daughter is and that she will never give up in the fight.
“Atena is strong and
she will not give up against her oppressors!”
Despite
all of her chronic health issues, Atena continues her fight against a
dictatorship government. She has not lost her hope and envisions a free Iran on
the horizon.
“These arrests,
detentions, threats, and intimidations are the sacrifices we need to make to
gain our freedom and rights…..We should never stop resisting or standing up
against oppression. No victory comes easily, and no injustice lasts forever!”
Atena
is shouting freedom while in chains. Do you hear her desperate cry? Stand with
this fearless human rights defender and be her voice. Don’t take your freedoms
for granted. We have a responsibility to stand in solidarity with those who
suffer. It is our duty to humanity!
