A group of women stage protest in front of presidential office

Islamic Republic News Agency:

A group of women from "Women Activists Movement" staged a protest here Wednesday voicing objection against disqualification of all women candidates in presidential election by the Guardian Council in front of Presidential Office.

The group called the disqualification of 89 women candidates as "incompetent" for upcoming presidential election as "a clear discrimination" and ignoring women's lawful rights.

One of the women activists told IRNA correspondent, "According to the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights, which Islamic Republic of Iran is obliged to observe, no one can be deprived from its civil and political rights because of gender."

The protesters said in a declaration-like resolution, "When women, half of the country's population, can not enjoy their natural right to be elected as a president, they should not be expected to participate in the election vastly either." They specified in their resolution that as long as the Guardian Council would not present a transparent, scientific and forensic interpretation on the constitution their protest would continue. READ MORE

The women activists after reading their declaration ended the gathering and left the place.