A briefing paper released by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) documents the widespread violations of human rights against women deprived of liberty in Myanmar. The paper includes testimonies from female ex-prisoners and ex-detainees, as well as their lawyers, highlighting the conditions and the psychological and physical torment experienced by these women [45d812de].
The military authorities in Myanmar have subjected women deprived of liberty to egregious human rights violations, including acts of gender-based violence that amount to crimes under international law. Between the military coup on February 1, 2021, and June 20, 2024, at least 3,987 women were still in detention for political reasons. The violations against these women include physical beatings, sexual violence, intrusive strip and body searches, excessive use of force, punitive disciplinary methods, inhumane detention conditions, and denial of adequate healthcare [45d812de].
The ICJ calls on the military junta to immediately cease these violations and urges UN agencies, human rights experts, and UN Member States to strengthen documentation and accountability efforts. The ICJ also highlights the virtually non-existent access to justice and effective remedies for these violations [45d812de].
The release of this briefing paper adds to the growing concerns about human rights abuses in Myanmar. The military coup in 2021 has led to widespread protests and a violent crackdown on dissent. The United Nations and international human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the military junta's actions and called for the restoration of democracy and the protection of human rights in Myanmar [45d812de].
In a separate development, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, has expressed concern over the threat of rape and murder against female Iranian prisoners. Lawlor called for the immediate release of six women's human rights activists in Gilan province, Iran, who were recently imprisoned. She expressed concern over the long prison sentences and reports of violent arrests, torture, and threats by Iranian security agents to rape and kill these prisoners during interrogation [2135f746].
Six civil and women's rights activists in Gilan province reported to Branch 5 of the Rasht Execution of Sentences office on Saturday, July 13, to begin serving their prison sentences. The prison sentences for Zohreh and Zahra Dadras, two other prisoners convicted in the case of 11 Gilan activists, were executed on July 10. In this case, 11 civil and women's rights activists from Gilan have been sentenced to over 60 years in prison collectively. The issuance of over 60 years of prison sentences for 11 women's rights defenders and civil activists in Gilan province has faced widespread criticism from hundreds of activists and civil and human rights organizations, including the Iranian Writers Association, the Center for Human Rights Defenders, and the Iranian Teachers' Trade Association. The U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also condemned these sentences as 'unjust' and 'an attempt to intimidate and silence activists' [2135f746].