Concerns Over Nasrin Sotoudeh’s Condition; Twitter Campaign for Freedom of Lawyer on Hunger Strike in Prison
As an online campaign launches demanding the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer imprisoned in Iran, Reza Khandan, the lawyer’s husband, says Ms. Sotoudeh is in poor physical condition as she continues her hunger strike.
Mr. Khandan told Voice of America on Monday, September 1st: “Unfortunately, we are in contact every two or three days, and not every day are we allowed to call from the women’s ward. Today was our turn to talk. Unfortunately, her condition was not good and we became more concerned, because her blood pressure apparently was low and they didn’t even tell her what her blood pressure was, and they said an IV definitely had to be inserted, which she refused, but in any case she is continuing for now.”
He added: “We have pursued follow-ups through the General Prosecutor’s Office and Tehran Prosecutor’s Office, but they are absolutely unwilling to speak with anyone and are not very responsive. It has never happened before; whether you write a letter, they don’t respond, and whether you ask a question, they don’t respond. Basically, in Iran, no official usually meets with anyone. In some places, like the Prison Organization, they don’t allow anyone inside at all.”
Mr. Khandan, referring to his past experiences, said: “I have gone to the Prison Organization several times on other matters, two years ago, eighteen months ago. At the entrance where they have posted a soldier, they say we don’t allow anyone inside, and if you have something, write a letter and leave it here. That’s the most they do. I even once wanted to see the deputy prosecutor of Tehran—not the prosecutor himself, but his deputy—who, as a deputy, should see anyone who comes through the door—regarding the blocking of my wife’s accounts, but they still refused to let me see the deputy and said: Write a letter. I wrote a letter, [but] they didn’t respond.”
Previously, Voice of America reported that Ms. Sotoudeh began a hunger strike starting Tuesday, August 12th, after weeks and months of all her correspondence with prison officials, the Prison Organization, and judicial authorities regarding prisoners’ rights and conditions, in-person visits, prison leave, and long-term prison sentences for political prisoners went unanswered.
Twitter Users’ Campaign
Twitter users have launched a campaign demanding the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist who has begun a hunger strike in prison.
Mohammad Qaimian, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s lawyer, noting that her activities were “aimed at realizing citizens’ right to defense and promoting human rights in Iran,” wrote: “A lawyer’s place is not in prison.”
The Farsi account of Reporters Without Borders, emphasizing that “the Islamic Republic is responsible for his health and life,” wrote: “An imprisoned lawyer defending human rights and many journalists and citizen-journalists, today in defense of the freedom of political prisoners, the right to treatment and fundamental rights of people, is facing the risk of death.”
Shahin Milani, a human rights activist, tweeted: “I don’t know how many times Nasrin Sotoudeh has resorted to hunger strike. History will show what the Islamic Republic has done to prisoners.”
Reza Khandan, a civil activist and Ms. Sotoudeh’s husband, also believes: “All this hostility toward lawyers who defend victims of human rights violations is so that, in their absence, they can easily issue sentences like the execution of Navid Afkari.”
Previously, Islamic Republic authorities arrested Ms. Sotoudeh’s 20-year-old daughter to pressure her; however, they still failed to break her hunger strike.
Ms. Sotoudeh was convicted by Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court for charges such as “expressing opposition to mandatory hijab laws,” “encouraging immorality and obscenity,” and “pretending to commit sin through unveiling in public,” as well as her activist efforts against death sentences. This lawyer and advocate for social and women’s rights faces a severe sentence of 38 years in prison and 148 lashes, of which 12 years will be executed according to Islamic Penal Code.
Morgan Ortagus, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, recently expressed solidarity with “brave” Iranian women on the occasion of International Women’s Day, while referring to “Nasrin Sotoudeh,” an imprisoned lawyer in Iran, and wrote: “I, on this International Women’s Day, declare solidarity with Nasrin Sotoudeh, imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer. As she has said: Women’s relentless efforts have ultimately proven that, regardless of support or opposition, women can no longer be ignored.”
The U.S. State Department’s Office of Women’s Affairs also expressed support and deep concern for Nasrin Sotoudeh’s health and urged the Iranian regime to release this imprisoned human rights lawyer and all political prisoners who have been wrongfully detained.
Source: Voice of America
