Iran: Urgent call for release of Nasrin Sotoodeh
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Gender Quality for Iran & International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran With the increasing pressures the maneuvering room for human rights defenders and human rights lawyers is becoming greatly constrained. Vivid examples of these pressures include some of the following: the closure and prevention of the activities of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, the repeal of accreditation of lawyers to practice law, the arrest of human rights defenders and lawyers.
Nasrin Sotoodeh, a brave human rights lawyer and women’s rights activist, has been imprisoned. Sotoodeh who was imprisoned on September 4, 2010, went on hunger strike on September 24. She has been denied visits with her lawyer since her arrest . To protest her inhumane situation inside the prison she started hunger strike this time with out drinking water. The concern over her health and wellbeing is at an all time high, as officials have refused to provide clear explanations about her situation or allow her family to visit her.
Nasrin Sotoodeh is a social activist, women’s rights activist, human rights lawyer, children’s rights activist and one of the leading campaigners in the fight to end child executions. This women’s rights activist, who is a member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, is one of few lawyers committed to justice, who have dedicated their professional lives to the cause of civil rights, to teaching it and to defending it. Their commitment is so great in fact that the defense of human rights has become a part of their daily lives.
Sotoodeh’s main demand in courts and the prosecutor’s office has been the rights of her clients. The consequence of demanding the law, especially given the few laws that safeguard civil liberties, has been her arrest and imprisonment. We, as signatories to this petition, demand the unconditional and immediate release of Nasrin Sotoodeh and other imprisoned human rights lawyers and view their continued detention as illegal.
With the increasing pressures the maneuvering room for human rights defenders and human rights lawyers is becoming greatly constrained. Vivid examples of these pressures include some of the following: the closure and prevention of the activities of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, the repeal of accreditation of lawyers to practice law, the arrest of human rights defenders and lawyers. Nasrin Sotoodeh, a brave human rights lawyer and women’s rights activist, has been imprisoned. Sotoodeh who was imprisoned on September 4, 2010, went on hunger strike on September 24. She has been denied visits with her lawyer since her arrest . To protest her inhumane situation inside the prison she started hunger strike this time with out drinking water. The concern over her health and wellbeing is at an all time high, as officials have refused to provide clear explanations about her situation or allow her family to visit her.
Nasrin Sotoodeh is a social activist, women’s rights activist, human rights lawyer, children’s rights activist and one of the leading campaigners in the fight to end child executions. This women’s rights activist, who is a member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, is one of few lawyers committed to justice, who have dedicated their professional lives to the cause of civil rights, to teaching it and to defending it. Their commitment is so great in fact that the defense of human rights has become a part of their daily lives.
Sotoodeh’s main demand in courts and the prosecutor’s office has been the rights of her clients. The consequence of demanding the law, especially given the few laws that safeguard civil liberties, has been her arrest and imprisonment. We, as signatories to this petition, demand the unconditional and immediate release of Nasrin Sotoodeh and other imprisoned human rights lawyers and view their continued detention as illegal.
To sign, please click on Release Nasrin Sotoodeh
PRESS RELEASES - 4th November 2010 2 Comments »
Life of Jailed Human Rights Lawyer at Great Risk
(4 November 2010) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, should immediately intervene with Iranian authorities to ensure the physical well being of detained human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.
On Sunday, 31 October, Sotoudeh, one of Iran’s most prominent human rights lawyers went on a dry hunger strike protesting her detention and ill treatment inside Tehran’s Evin prison. Her family reported that her health is quickly deteriorating.
“As High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay has a duty to come to the aid of embattled human rights defenders,” said Hadi Ghaemi, spokesperson for the Campaign.
Follow-ups | Human Rights | Imprisoned Professionals | Interviews | Prisoners & Their Families Reza Khandan has confirmed that his wife jailed human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh is back on hunger strike. She began the hunger strike on Sunday to protest the mishandling of her case file. In an interview with Radio Farda, Khandan said that Sotoudeh is on a dry hunger strike. He stated that during their last meeting his wife was “extremely weak, her face had turned black and the children cried the whole time.” Nasrin Sotoudeh had previously gone on hunger strike on September 25th and stopped around October 26th. According to her husband, the human rights lawyer had threatened that she would go on hunger strike again if her prison conditions did not change. Khandan said, “Mrs. Sotoudeh is protesting her incarceration along with the mishandling of her case file. She had said in the past that she would break her first hunger strike only on the condition that the promises made to her were kept, but it is now clear that nothing has changed.” This is happening even though there was news that on Sunday, Tehran’s Attorney General visited the prison and had a meeting with Sotoudeh. Khandan said that Sotoudeh had already begun her hunger strike that day and, since her meeting with Tehran’s Attorney General did not change her mind about anything, she has re-commenced her hunger strike. Nasrin Sotoudeh is charged with acting against national security, congregation and collusion with intent to disrupt national security, and cooperation with the Center for Human Rights Defenders. She is incarcerated since September 3, 2010. The lawyer’s immediate release has been requested by many human rights agencies including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders. Political and human rights activists have also protested against her arrest and demanded her release, including Vaclav Havel (former president of the Czech Republic), Shirin Ebadi (human rights lawyer), and Zahra Rahnavard (wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi).Jailed Nasrin Sotoudeh Back on Hunger Strike
November 04, 2010
Persian Report by Radio Farda
Translation by Laleh Irani | Editing by Persian2English
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