Human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh captured in the garden of her workplace in Tehran on December 9, 2014. Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images/Archive
Iranian human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh was provisionally freed from detention today, as reported by her daughter, over a month after she was arrested by security personnel.
Mehraveh Khandan shared on Instagram that Sotoudeh was “temporarily released on bail.” On April 2, security forces conducted a raid at Sotoudeh’s residence while she was alone, as reported by her daughter on social media, mentioning that several electronic devices were taken.
Sotoudeh has advocated for Iranian political prisoners during her career and has faced imprisonment several times due to her efforts, as reported by the US-based NGO the Center for Human Rights in Iran. According to the center, her spouse, Reza Khandan, was detained in 2019 for creating and distributing badges stating, “I oppose mandatory hijab.”
Rights advocates say Iran’s regime has intensified its repression of dissidents, exploiting the backdrop of US-Israeli strikes on the nation. The UN human rights chief urged officials last month to stop capital punishment, cautioning that instances of “torture and mistreatment” had been frequently reported. Volker Türk stated on April 29 that over 4,000 individuals are believed to have been detained on national security charges in Iran since February 28.
Türk mentioned Sotoudeh and fellow Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi as part of the “dozens of prisoners” facing “high-risk conditions.” “Numerous detainees have been subjected to forced disappearances, torture, or other types of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, including coerced – and occasionally televised – confessions and simulated executions,” he noted.
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