Iranian activists call for release of Nasrin Sotoudeh

Nasrin Sotoudeh

Over 400 Iranian social activists urged Iranian judiciary to release, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Iranian lawyer who was incarcerated in connection with her defence of political prisoners.

The activists published their statement in Tagheer Baray-e Barabari (Change for Equality) condemning the arrest of the prominent women’s rights activists and member of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre.

Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on September 4 charged with “activities against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”

The statement indicates that the arrest of Sotoudeh reveals the continuous diminishing scope of human rights activities and lawyers in Iran and adds: “Nasrin Sotoudeh has been incarcerated in order to add to the fear of continuing on with social and political activities; so that defending women’s rights and citizens’ rights becomes a crime and both the accused and their lawyers are charged with breach of national security.”

Nasrin Sotoudeh is an award-winning human rights lawyer who had taken on cases of a number of prominent political prisoners in the past year.

Mourning Mothers, a group that was launched by the mothers of post-election victims in Iran, in a letter to the judiciary urged the authorities to allow Sotoudeh to attend the funeral of her father who passed away two days ago while her daughter was incarcerated.

Reporters Without Borders and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran also called for the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh in separate statements.