The Statement of 14 Political Activists (Persian: بیانیه چهارده فعال سیاسی) is an open letter signed by 14 political activists inside Iran, aimed at People of Iran, calling Ali Khamenei to resign his post of Supreme Leader after 20-year tenure. It was published online on tenth anniversary of controversial 2009 Iranian presidential election.[1][2] One week after first letter, they published another letter asking for abolition of Islamic republic and establishment of a democratic secular government.[3]
Weeks after the letter was released, 14 female activists inside Iran issued a similar statement on August 5, 2019. These women said theocratic rule has led to "gender apartheid" and "erased" the rights of half of the country’s population; They called on Khamenei to resign.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
On August 10, 14 Iranian women's rights activists, who reside outside Iran, published an open letter and expressed their support for previous letters.
As of September 2019, 16 of 28 signatories, who reside in Iran, have been arrested.[10][11]
Background
In the midst of 2017–2018 Iranian protests, 15 Iranian intellectuals published an open letter called for a referendum. They wrote:
Four decades have passed since the establishment of the Islamic republic, a government whose obsession with Islamisation has left little room for republican ideals. So many women, lawyers, journalists, teachers, students, workers and political and social activists have been harassed, arrested, convicted of serious crimes and sent to prison, solely for criticizing officials, enlightening public opinion, inviting the rulers to respect separation of religion from government or demanding women’s relief from the mandatory veil.
The Letters found many supporters and was widely shared on social media. Many Iranian women's rights activists and famous artists, authors and human rights advocates abroad offered their support for the women.[16]
I am 15th
Giti Pourfazel, a lawyer who is one of the signatories, told Radio Farda that other Iranian women could count themselves as the 15th signatory.[17] Many Iranian celebrities and Twitter users expressed their support.[18]
Court Sentences
In March 2020, a court in Iran sentenced Reza Mehregan, one of the fourteen signatories, to six years in prison and 74 lashes.[19] A few months earlier a court in Mashhad sentenced eight of those activists who asked Khamenei to resign, to a total of 72 years in prison.[20]
