Women are being arrested in Iran for riding bicycles in public

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Following is a summary of this NCR-Iran article:  

A group of woman were arrested in the city of Marivan, Iran for riding bicycles in public.  Eyewitnesses report that police had approached the women and girls and told them that according to a new government directive cycling by woman in public places is barred and considered unlawful.  The police demanded that the woman and girls sign written pledges not to repeat their violation of cycling in public, and a few woman who protested were taken into custody.

Ms. Farideh Karimi, a human rights activist and member of the National Council of the Resistance of Iran said:  “Suppression of women has been a tenet of the mullahs’ regime from its outset.  This latest restrictive measure shows that misogyny is being stepped up under Hassan Rouhani’s administration.  With each passing day the mullahs’ regime is further infringing on the basic rights of women which they had fought hard to obtain.”