Change for Equality: The first court case related to collection of signatures in support of the One Million Signatures Campaign was held and a sentence issued. Nasim Sarabandi and Fatemeh Dehdashti appeared in court and were sentenced on August 12, 2007. Both Nasim and Fatemeh were charged with actions against the state through spread of propaganda and received a suspended sentence of six months for the period of 2 years.

These two activists involved in the One Million Signatures Campaign were arrested on the Metro in January while collecting signatures in support of the Campaign’s petition which asks the legislature to reverse discriminatory laws against women. Nasim and Fatemeh spent 24 hours in detention. At first it appeared that their case was closed and no charges would be brought. But the two were later called into court where they were charged with actions against the state through spreading of propaganda—charges which the two denied. This sentence was issued despite the fact that the collection of signatures is not identified as a crime in Iranian law, and is one of the most civil and peaceful approaches for expression of demands.

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