Two International Human Rights Organizations Call for Immediate Release of Nasrin Sotoudeh and Reza Khandan
The arrest of Reza Khandan, the spouse of attorney and human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, has prompted reactions from international human rights organizations.
Philip Luther, Director of Research for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, called on Wednesday, September 5th, in a statement from the organization for the unconditional release of Ms. Sotoudeh and her husband.
This Amnesty International official stated in the statement: “Authorities first arrested Nasrin Sotoudeh on fabricated charges, then proceeded to harass and threaten her spouse and friends, and now have arrested her husband. These callous actions demonstrate how far Iranian authorities will go to silence the voices of human rights lawyers; even to the point of targeting their families.”
Philip Luther continued: “Iranian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Nasrin Sotoudeh and her husband, exonerate them of the charges, and once and for all put an end to the harassment of this family.”
Simultaneously, Hrana news website reported, citing Mohammad Moghimi, the attorney of Reza Khandan, that Branch 7 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office has leveled charges of “gathering and conspiracy against national security,” “propaganda against the system,” and “spreading and promoting appearing without hijab in society” against Mr. Khandan.
According to this attorney, ultimately a bail of 700 million tomans was issued for Reza Khandan, and he was transferred to Evin Prison.
Following the arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband, Human Rights Watch also announced that the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have intensified their treatment of human rights defenders.
Human Rights Watch also in a statement referred to the arrest of three attorneys and Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband in recent days and called on the Islamic Republic authorities for their immediate release.
On Tuesday it was reported that security forces arrested Reza Khandan, the spouse of Nasrin Sotoudeh, and took him to the Evin Prosecutor’s Office.
Mr. Khandan had previously stated that he had been summoned by phone to the Ministry of Intelligence, but due to the illegal nature of this type of summons, he would refrain from going there.
Amnesty International immediately condemned the arrest of Reza Khandan following his detention and called for the unconditional release of him and his wife Nasrin Sotoudeh. Nasrin Sotoudeh, an attorney and human rights activist, is also imprisoned in Evin.
The U.S. State Department also, by publishing a tweet in Persian, stated that it is following the news of the arrest of Reza Khandan and several attorneys recently arrested in Iran “closely.”
Reza Khandan had previously informed the media of judicial and security measures against his wife.
Nasrin Sotoudeh, before her husband’s arrest in protest of the proceedings into her case and other detained civil activists, has been on a hunger strike in Evin Prison for eleven days prior.
Source: Voice of America
