Sedigheh VASMAGHI

Sedigheh Vasmaghi is a well-known Iranian poet, writer, scholar and women’s rights activist. She was arrested on 16 March 2024 and transferred to Evin Prison, where conditions are deplorable. Her health deteriorated significantly while she was detained, with complete sight loss from a genetic condition and the development of potentially life-threatening heart issues. She was conditionally released on 29 April 2024 after writing a letter to the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran, and international human rights organisations, highlighting the abuse women face in Iran and specifying that she was tortured and denied access to adequate medical care. Iranian authorities imposed stringent conditions on her release, including a ban on social media and public life, and limiting her communication to her family members only.

Vasmaghi’s arrest is believed to be linked to her open criticism of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whom she called a ‘dictator’, and her criticism of the compulsory Hijab law. She faced charges including ‘propaganda against the system’ and ‘public appearance without hijab.’  Vasmaghi has endured decades of harassment and prosecution by the Iranian regime (see Case Lists 2017 - 2020).

Vasmaghi, 63,  is a well-known poet, writer, and women’s rights activist. She obtained her PhD in law at Tehran University and is one of a few women to have taught Islamic law in Iran. As a university lecturer, she worked to highlight and improve women’s status and rights in Iranian society. She has written many articles on political, legal, Islamic, and social issues, published in various newspapers and magazines in Iran, including Cheshm andaz Iran (Perspective in Iran).

Vasmaghi published her first poetry collection, Praying for Rain 1989, for which she received the 1991 Best Book Award from the University of Al-Zahra, Tehran. Since then, she has published five collections of poetry in addition to several academic books and translated classical Arabic poetry into Persian. One of her most famous books is زن، فقه، اسلام  (‘Women, Jurisprudence, Islam’
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2014).