Iran’s presidential election on 12 June, will take place against a backdrop of discrimination, worsening repression of dissent and violent unrest. In the run-up to its tenth presidential election from which women candidates have been barred, the country has witnessed the arbitrary arrest and harassment of activists and members of minority communities, censorship, armed attacks and suicide bombings. Amnesty International has welcomed the commitments made by some electoral candidates during their campaigns to address the issue of women’s rights and the problems of ethnic minorities and the poor. “The ongoing efforts of women’s rights activists have forced the issue of women’s rights into the debate, sometimes at the cost of their freedom,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Programme Director at Amnesty International. “All candidates should heed their calls for equality and make ending discrimination a priority.”
