Three hundred thousand signatures. The petition launched by the Press to save the life of Fahimeh Karimi reaches, and exceeds, an historic milestone: it is one of the most clicked-on ever on Change.org, the platform that pushed it and made it travel around the world, with translations in English, French and Spanish. We cannot stop here and this avalanche of subscriptions – which has gathered adhesions in the world of politics, entertainment and culture – will end up directly at the Iranian embassy in Italy in the next few days.
The accusation
A volleyball coach and mother of three young children, Fahimeh was arrested in Pakdasht, Tehran province, two months ago. The accusation would be that he kicked a paramilitary in one of the demonstrations that followed the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old girl taken into custody by the Iranian morality police, last September 16, due to a lock of hair that escaped her hijab.
Iran, “Baradaram” (my brother): in a video the brother remembers Mehdi Zare Ashkzari executed by the regime
History
Karimi was first held in Evin Prison, then transferred to Khorin Prison. In addition to her release, La Stampa and the signatories of the appeal are demanding respect for the rights of all those who have been demonstrating peacefully for weeks and who, despite this, are being brutally repressed and unjustly arrested. “Where there is oppression – said the director Massimo Giannini – humanity dies every day”.
Many have lined up with our newspaper: from life senator Liliana Segre to Fiorello via Cesare Cremonini, Carla Bruni. And again: the Olympic champion of the 100 meters Marcell Jacobs, the Spanish writer Javier Cercas and his Egyptian colleague Alaa Al Aswany. And then many famous faces of cinema, from Paolo Virzì to Sergio Rubini, from Marco Giallini to Serena Autieri, from Anna Foglietta to Edoardo Leo up to Iva Zanicchi, Ambra Angiolini and Frankie hi-nrg. Famous people, but above all readers, ordinary citizens who ask for an answer from those who, at the moment, have only shown ferocity.