Sir, – It's no surprise that all 40 women who applied to contest Iran's presidential election were disqualified from running ("Iran's election: A dubious victory", Editorial, June 21st).
Iranian women are treated appallingly by the state. Under Iranian law, the age of consent for girls is nine compared with 15 for boys.
In February of this year, Zahra Ismaili died of fright while waiting in line to be hanged in Rajai Shahr prison outside Teheran. Although dead, she was hanged anyway. She had been convicted of killing her abusive husband, a former state official.
On August 5th, 2020, the UN secretary general expressed his concern at Iran’s “persistent discrimination against women, girls and minorities”.
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He specifically mentioned Iran’s retention of the death penalty for girls as young as nine for crimes such as homicide and adultery.
However, in April this year, Iran was elected to the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women. Is it any wonder that Iran’s clerics think they can do what they like? – Yours, etc,
KARL MARTIN,
Bayside,
Dublin 13.