Government That Lacks Popular Base Resorts to Violence

Ordered to pay 500 million Tomans (about USD 500,000) in income tax, Iran’s only Nobel laurete Shirin Ebadi still hopes that the appellate court will reverse the ruling on the basis of her lawyer’s legal arguments.  In an interview with Rooz, Ebadi discusses the freezing of her and her husband’s assets, her activities abroad in recent months and her international influence. 

Rooz: Mrs. Ebadi; you have been ordered to pay 500 million Tomans in taxes.  You previously had said that according to law awards are not taxable, but apparently the Iranian government claims that, aside from the Nobel award, you have not paid other taxes as well.  Can you please talk about this issue.

Shirin Ebadi (Ebadi): About the tax case, I have to say that because they have not found any issues during my 45 years of legal and civil practice in Iran, they are sticking to the tax issue.  According to Iranian laws, awards are exempt from taxation.  On the other hand, I received the Nobel award 5 years ago, and nothing was said about taxes in the past 5 years.  Now, after the elections, based on reasons that are not clear, they are determined to tax the award in violation of the law.  They are also taxing income that I didn’t have.  For example, the finance ministry has designated popular charity donations that I collected after the Bam earthquake as personal income for tax purposes.

Rooz: Your sister was released from prison recently.  What is the status of her case?  Have there been problems for other members of your family?

Ebadi: My sister was released on bail after three weeks in detention, and we haven’t heard anything about her case since.  I don’t know if her crime, which is probably because she has familial ties with me, was the reason behind the case or whether the case has been closed.  My husband is still barred from leaving Iran. His crime is that he married a woman 35 years ago who went on to win a Nobel peace prize, which is not a small crime, in their minds.

Rooz: Mrs. Ebadi, you are currently active outside Iran.  What kind of activities are you engaged in?

Ebadi: My activities in Iran were divided into two parts, inside Iran and outside Iran, and they continue to be that way.  But because I haven’t been in Iran for a few months, my activities abroad have increased.  I have met with Mr. Ban Ki-moon twice in person so far to discuss human rights violations in Iran, and several times with Ms. Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.  I have met with officials from the European Union, F.I.B.H. and Amnesty International.  My activities in Iran are ongoing, and the Center for Defenders of Human Rights continues its activities.  My colleagues in Iran are doing great work.