UPDATE: Topless Tunisian Femen Protester Amina Tyler 'Is Home Well', Says Lawyer
A 19-year-old Tunisian activist who was threatened with death by stoning after posting topless pictures of herself online has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
The woman, known only as Amina, posted the photographs - including one of herself with the words "Fuck your morals" written across her chest, to the Femen-Tunisian 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.
One of the pictures posted on the Femen Tunisia site
As a prominent preacher called for her death by stoning, Femen leader Inna Shevchenko told The Atlantic she has received reports Amina had been "delivered by her parents to a psychiatric hospital in Tunis."
Shevchenko told the online newspaper: "Amina and I were in contact by phone until four days ago, when she disappeared.
"Her phone went dead and her Facebook page was removed, which also meant I lost all my correspondence with her. I can't get hold of her."
Shevchenko added she had been alerted to a video in which Amina's aunt claimed the aspiring Femen member "is now with her family. She had decided to kill herself and so posted nude pictures of herself online."
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Shevchenko described the move as "a typical way of reacting to a woman's demand to be free - they say she's gone crazy or is being too emotional."
On March 16, Amina appeared on the popular Tunisian talk show 'Labes' to discuss her desire to bring Femen to Tunisia, Jezebel revealed. (Scroll down for video)
Twitter user Saida Manoubia points out the programme host suggested committing Amina to an institution during his interview.
@Khaffousa
Saida Manoubia
The first picture posted of activist 'Amina'
Hundreds of women have since submitted topless pictures of themselves to the Femen Facebook page supporting Amina. The organisation has had to blur the nipples of the women featured to comply with Facebook rules on nudity.
Following the publication of the pictures, Tunisian newspaper Kapitalis quoted the Wahabi Salafi preacher Almi Adel, who heads the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, saying: "The young lady should be punished according to sharia, with 80 to 100 lashes, but [because of] the severity of the act she has committed, she deserves be stoned to death.
"Her act could bring about an epidemic. It could be contagious and give ideas to other women. It is therefore necessary to isolate [the incident]. I wish her to be healed."
If she committed the offence in Tunisia, Amina could be punished by up to two years in prison and a fine of 100 to 1,000 dinars [between £40 and £400], local media said.
A petition and an international day of action on April 4 to highlight the threats against Amina have been organised by activists.
A message of support posted on the Femen Facebook page
More than 85,000 people have signed a petition calling for those who have threatened Amina's life to be prosecuted.
An open letter calling for an International Day to Defend Amina has been signed by many feminist and atheist activists, including atheist Richard Dawkins.
The letter says: "On the day and beyond, groups and individuals can join in by highlighting her case, posting topless photos of themselves and their activism on social media sites, signing a petition, Tweeting #Amina, writing letters in her defence, and more.
"On 4 April, we will remind the Islamists and the world that the real epidemic and disaster that must be challenged is misogyny - Islamic or otherwise."
Social media accounts of the Tunisian branch of Femen have been reportedly infiltrated by hackers, with videos and pictures on the site being replaced by verses from the Koran.
According to International Business Times, the accounts have now been suspended.
One message read: "The page has been hacked and God willing, this debauchery will disappear from Tunisia."
Femen said in a statement they were furious about the "barbarian threats of the Islamists about the necessity of reprisals against the Tunisian activist Amina," .
"We are afraid for her life and we call on women to fight for their freedom against religious atrocities.
"Use your body as a poster for the slogans of freedom. Bare breasts against Islamism."
Femen was founded in 2008 in Ukraine. It claims to be active in 17 countries and to have more than 150,000 supporters.
FEMEN PROTEST PHOTOS (WARNING: NSFW)
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Via: huffingtonpost.co.uk
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