Nasrin Sotoudeh Wins Sweden PEN Award
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist who is currently imprisoned in the women’s section of Evin Prison, has won the 2018 award from Sweden PEN.
The award was given to Ms. Sotoudeh for her efforts to defend writers, journalists, and social activists in Iran.
The jury of the Kurt Tucholsky Prize, which is known as a special award from Sweden PEN, stated that Nasrin Sotoudeh continues her struggle with a sense of justice to defend writers, journalists, and socially active women in Iran.
Ms. Shirin Ebadi, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is expected to receive the Sweden PEN award this month on behalf of Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is imprisoned.
Ms. Sotoudeh, who had taken on the legal representation of many cases involving civil activists and political critics, including those protesting mandatory hijab, was arrested in June of this year. She faced various charges in several cases, but in one case in which propaganda against the system was charged against her, she was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of espionage.
Another prominent case against Ms. Sotoudeh is a complaint by the prosecutor of the Kashan prosecutor’s office, which was raised due to her legal representation of the case of daughters protesting mandatory hijab.
The arrest of this lawyer and human rights activist prompted protests from the United States government and international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Source: Voice of America
