Dear friend,

On 8 October actress Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and one year jail in Iran. Her crime? Starring in the Australian film My Tehran for Sale, which documents the difficultly young Iranian artists often face when speaking out against authorities about their personal or political beliefs [1].

Unfortunately the persecution of artists and film industry workers in Iran is nothing new. We’ve long documented Iran’s routine use of flogging to repress free speech and silence criticism of authorities - a practice which can often amount torture.

With unprecedented attention on Iran's use of judicial flogging, now is the time to voice our outrage: Join our call for the Iranian government to end flogging under all circumstances, and we'll deliver your signature directly to the Iranian Embassy in Canberra.

Marzieh's case is just one of many hundreds, but symbolic in that it clearly represents the lack of freedom in Iran. The day after Marzieh's sentencing, student activist Peyman Aref was lashed 74 times for "insulting the president". His injuries left him unable to walk unaided from the pain of being flogged.

In Australia, it's hard to imagine the idea of being incarcerated and flogged simply for speaking your mind, but that is the daily reality faced by the Iranian people. However, the story doesn't have to end here. On 17 October, Iran will face the UN Human Rights Committee where the use of judicial flogging will be put under the international spotlight.

While the Iranian government can often seem immune from criticism, now is the perfect time for us to send a clear message that Australians condemn this cruel and inhuman practice.

At Amnesty International our supporters have always used their freedom to speak out for those facing repression and abuse across the world - and after 50 years of doing so, our movement is stronger than ever.

Thank you for being part of this 3 million strong movement. With your support we can make the world a better place for all.

In hope,

Michael Hayworth
Crisis Campaign Coordinator
Amnesty International Australia

[1] Actor in Australian film sentenced to 90 lashes, The Age, 11 October