Iran Dutch ‘Human Rights Tulip’ 2009 awarded to Shadi Sadr

As a lawyer, journalist and researcher, Shadi Sadr has dedicated herself to the rights of women in Iran. “Shadi Sadr receives the Human Rights Tulip for her outstanding courage, firmness and work in a climate of very critical and repeated violations of human rights”, said Minister Verhagen (Foreign Affairs).

As a lawyer, Sadr defends women’s and human rights activists. In 2004 she founded Raahi, an organization that seeks to improve the rights of women. Raahi defends women who are in dire straits pro bono, especially in cases where it concerns family law. In addition, Sadr participates in the struggle against the stoning penalty in Iran. She was one of the founders of the champagne Stop Stoning Forever.

As a journalist, Sadr writes for magazines, newspapers and websites. She combines these activities with regularly writing critical articles about lawsuit she works on and the way women are treated. For years now she brings subjects, like domestic violence, out into the open.

Sadr is continuously under surveillance, her phone is tapped, and she is being threatened. In 2005 a travel ban for a year was imposed on her. In March 2007 she was arrested and put in prison. During the riots following the presidential elections of 12 June 2009 she was arrested again and held in prison for 11 days.

The prize consists of a little bronze figure with the shape of a tulip and a personal prize of 10.000 Euro. On top of that, Sadr will get the possibility to donate 100.000 Euro to a project of her choice and she will be enabled to expand her network in the Netherlands and Europe.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Verhagen, will present the award to Sadr on Monday 10 November 2009 in the Ridderzaal in The Hague.