Roya Toloui

Roya Tuloui, (born 1966 in Baneh, Kordestān, Iran) is a well-known Iranian- Kurdish journalist and human rights activist and feminist. She was born in the city of Baneh in western Iran. She finished school with success in Baneh and then studied pathology at the University of Mashhad.

Life

She was editor in chief of a Kurdish-language monthly magazine for women entitled Rasan. After three issues in the city of Sanandaj in the spring and summer of 2005, the magazine was banned by the Iranian court.

Tuloui also founded the Kurdish women's group Association of the Kurdish Women Supporting Peace in Kurdistan. She is also a member of the Kurdish PEN.

In April 2005, she was accused of criticizing the state's authority and for defending the rights of women and minorities on national security. While the Kurdish unrest in western Iran Tuloui was arrested on 2 August 2005 and released again in October after 66 days.

International PEN had argued their case on the day of the " detainees writer " in November 2005. Tuloui fled after being released on Turkey and from there in April 2006 in the United States.