Roya Toloui

Roya Toloui (1966- ) is a prominent Iranian Kurdish journalist, human rights activist and feminist, currently residing in US. She was born in Baneh in western Iran. She received high school diploma at Baneh and studied pathology at the University of Mashhad.

She was the Editor-in-Chief of "Rasan" (Rising up), a Kurdish monthly magazine about women's issues. Three issues of the magazine were published in Sanandaj in spring and summer of 2005 until it was closed down in summer of 2005 by the Iranian judiciary. She is also the founder of the "Association of the Kurdish Women Supporting Peace in Kurdistan". She is also a member of Kurdish PEN.

Due to her outspoken criticism of authorities and also defence of the rights of Kurdish and Iranian women, she was tried in a Revolutionary court in April 2005 and was accused of endangering national security. [http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/69742/?PHPSESSID=] Following demonstrations in Kurdish inhabited areas of western Iran, she was arrested on 2 August 2005, and held in prison for 66 days until freed on bail in October 2005. [http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/69742/?PHPSESSID=] Her case of imprisonment was highlighted in the International PEN's "Day of the Imprisoned Writer" on November 2005. [http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/index.php?pid=26&nid=298] After release, she fled Iran for Turkey and finally she sought refuge in United States in April 2006.

External links

* [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130432005?open&of=ENG-IRN Amensty International's Report, August 2005]
* [http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engMDE130262006?open&of=eng-IRN Imprisonment of Roya Toloui]
* [http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rsd/rsddocview.html?tbl=RSDCOI&id=447ff7ab20 UNHCR- Amnesty International Report May 2006 - Iran] .
* [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/2/018e8424-74c5-4f77-a00b-444cdc86061c.html About Roya Toloui in "Radio Free Europe"]
* [http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=12156 Dr. Toloui arrives in US]