Thread by @monaeltahawy

For #IWD2020 Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, highlights 25 Women Political Prisoners in #Egypt, #Russia, #China, #Iran, #Turkey, #Burundi, #Saudi Arabia, the #Philippines, and #Eritrea

“In #Egypt, President Sisi has attempted to quash dissent and consolidate control by wrongfully imprisoning human rights defenders.”

- Mahienour el-Masry, a human rights lawyer
- Esraa Abdel Fattah, a human rights activist and reporter

“In #Russia, President Putin’s government utilizes politically-motivated imprisonment to bolster its power by cracking down on journalists, human rights advocates, religious minorities, Ukrainian citizens, and civil society advocates.”

- Yulia Tsetkova, LGBT activist

“The #Chinese Communist Party has waged a powerful campaign to suppress vibrant ethnic minority communities and political dissent.“

- Rahile Dawut, a Xinjiang University professor
- Bonkho Kyi, Tibetan

“In #Iran, human rights defenders have been steadfast in their advocacy despite repeated arrest and abuse by authorities.”

- Nasrin Sotoudeh human rights lawyer
- Atena Daemi, human rights activist, - Narges Mohammadi, human rights activist
- Niloufar Bayani, environmentalist

“As of December 2019, #Turkey was the world’s second worst jailer of journalists with 47 in prison”
- Editor Hatice Duman
- Ayşenur Parıldak and Hanım Büşra Erdal
- Sadiye Eser

“In #Burundi, authorities have cracked down on free expression in anticipation of the country’s 2020 elections.”
- Christine Kamikazi and Agnès Ndirubusa, journalists

“A year ago today, I highlighted 14 women political prisoners in a statement marking International Women’s Day. Of those 14, 8 remain in detention today. These include:

- #Saudi women’s rights and human rights activists Loujain al-Hathloul, Nassima al-Sada, Samar Badawi

- Nouf Abdulaziz, and Maya’a al-Zahran
- Senator Leila de Lima, detained for her criticism of extrajudicial killings in the #Philippines
- Guligeina Tashimaimaiti, a #Uyghur PhD student detained in #China
1 Aster Fissehatsion, a political dissident held since 2001 in #Eritrea.