Two Italian municipalities have held public events marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and expressing solidarity with women and political prisoners in Iran, with local officials and civil society figures calling attention to ongoing repression under the clerical dictatorship.
In the city of Spoltore, the municipality hosted a program titled “Women’s Voices for Peace” featuring Shahid Sho’leh, a member of the Association of Iranian Democratic Women in Italy. City officials attended the event, where Sho’leh recounted two personal testimonies illustrating the severe abuses faced by Iranian women who oppose the regime.
The first story focused on Maryam Akbari Monfared, who has spent 15 years in prison. Despite the completion of her sentence, her imprisonment was extended by three years on charges of supporting the Iranian resistance. Akbari Monfared, a mother of three, has been denied both visitation and medical treatment. Her continued detention, Sho’leh said, has made her a symbol of courage for Iranian women—her only “offense” being her demand for justice for siblings who were executed.
A second account described the experience of Hengameh Haj Hassan, arrested during the early years of the clerical dictatorship and held for seven months in harsh conditions. She was kept in cramped cages, forced into silence and immobility, and subjected to beatings for the slightest movement. After her release, she continued advocating for freedom and equality. Her memoir, “One Cannot Chain the Sun,” recounts her ordeal and resilience.
Sho’leh noted that the bravery of Iranian women “continues to illuminate the path to freedom, even in the darkest moments.” Her remarks drew attention from local officials, including Francesca Asborja, the mayor’s advisor on equality, and Cinzia Renzentini, head of the municipal equality commission.
A separate event was held on 5 December 2025 in Savigliano, in collaboration with the Pantarei Cultural Association at the historic Taffini Hall. The program expressed support for human rights in Iran and endorsed the Ten-Point Plan of Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
Participants included local and regional officials, among them Carla Sapino, president of the Pantarei Association; Maurizio Paoletti, lawyer and former mayor of Boves; regional council member Federica Barbero; the mayor of Savigliano; and representatives from 36 municipalities in the province of Cuneo. Regional councils, human rights committees and the Cuneo prefecture also backed the event. Messages of solidarity were delivered, including one from Sergio Soave, former president of the Institute for the History of Resistance.
Organizers expressed gratitude to the Savigliano Savings Bank for providing the Taffini Hall and noted the strong expressions of solidarity with political prisoners in Iran, particularly those facing execution or awaiting implementation of their sentences.