Femen protesters held in Ukraine after topless protest near Crimean Parliament

Two members of Femen have been detained in Crimea's capital today after staging a topless protest near the regional parliament.

Dramatic pictures show security guards, believed to be Cossack irregulars, dragging the women who had 'stop Putin's war' written across their chests away from the Autonomous Republic building in Simferopol.

Femen released a statement on their website saying their members had been "severely beaten" by "pro-Russian activists" and arrested. Video footage has also emerged showing the women being carried away by security guards before being put into a police van.

The Independent

Tunisian FEMEN activist must be released

19-year-old Tunisian activist for the FEMEN network is facing further accusations after having been convicted and fined on Thursday for the possession of a self-defence spray.

Amina Sboui – who has also been known as Amina Tyler – was remanded in custody yesterday on accusations of desecrating a cemetery, belonging to a criminal organization and undermining public morals, offences which carry punishments of several years' imprisonment under the Tunisian Penal Code.
The charges she faces appear to stem from her having written the word "FEMEN" on a wall surrounding a cemetery in Kairouan on 19 May, the day when Ansar al Charia, a Salafist group that opposes equality for women, had called a rally for its supporters in the city.

Amina Sboui was arrested outside the cemetery and charged with possession of a self-defence spray – for which she was convicted and fined 300 Tunisian dinars (about US$184).
She is due to be interrogated by the investigative judge on 5 June for the new accusations.
"Amina should be released from custody right away. She is being investigated for exercising her right to freedom of expression, and she should not be facing imprisonment for doing so," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Amnesty International USA – Aminas Facebook – FEMEN Website – FEMEN Info

Topless Jihad Day: 'Our Tits Are Deadlier Than Your Stones'

Femen activists have declared 4 April “topless jihad day” as a gesture of support for a Tunisian woman who was threatened with death by stoning for baring her breasts online.

Amina Tyler ignited a storm when she posted images of herself with the words “Fuck your morals” written across her chest to the Femen-Tunisia Facebook page. Another image showing her smoking a cigarette with: "My body belongs to me, and is not the source of anyone's honour", written in Arabic script across her bare chest, was also posted. As a preacher called for her death over fears “her act could bring about an epidemic”, Femen has responded with fury, calling for a “topless jihad day”.

Meanwhile the whereabouts of the 19-year-old are unclear. Some say she is in a psychiatric hospital. Some have expressed fears for her life. Attorney Bochra Bel Haj Hmida insists she has spoken to Amina and that she is home with her family and well. Yet last month Femen leader Inna Shevchenko told the Huffington Post UK that since abruptly losing contact with the young activist, she continues to fear for Amina’s safety. She said: “We still didn't hear [the] voice of Amina and didn't see her face. Until the moment we hear word of Amina about her safety we are searching for her and continuing our international bare breasts support.”

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