US expresses concern over the situation of Nasrin Sotoudeh and Narges Mohammadi
A US State Department spokesman said Washington considers “daily human rights violations and arbitrary detentions” in Iran “unacceptable.” The US called on its allies to join the country in confronting human rights abuses in Iran.
Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the US State Department, expressed concern about the situation of Narges Mohammadi and Nasrin Sotoudeh, as well as the imprisonment of Gonabadi Dervishes, and said that Washington is closely following numerous reports of human rights violations in Iran.
"We are closely following reports of numerous human rights defenders and members of minority groups, such as the Ganabadi Dervishes, being unlawfully and arbitrarily detained in Iranian regime prisons," Nauert said at a White House press briefing on Wednesday (August 15).
In a text published on social media by the “US Department of State in Persian” website, Heather Nauert was quoted as saying: “Yesterday, I tweeted about Narges Mohammadi, a critically ill mother of two who has been sentenced to a total of 16 years in prison for peacefully advocating for human rights reforms. Today, we are particularly concerned about Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has been imprisoned in Evin Prison since June 2018 and is facing national security charges for representing a woman accused of removing her hijab in public.”
On Tuesday, Taghi Rahmani tweeted about the serious physical condition of his wife Narges Mohammadi, saying that the activist and human rights defender had been transferred from prison to the hospital and admitted there after suffering a seizure.
Narges Mohammadi, the vice president of the Center for Human Rights Defenders, is currently serving her sentence in prison. Taghi Rahmani and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that Narges Mohammadi's physical condition is becoming dangerous, but prison officials have so far refused to grant her medical leave.
Heather Nauert also tweeted separately that the United States is concerned about reports about Narges Mohammadi's health. She added: "We call on the Iranian regime to release her and provide her with vital medical care."
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist, is also currently in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the leadership.” Her lawyer, Payam Darfashan, announced on Tuesday that the charge of “espionage” has been added to Nasrin Sotoudeh’s charges.
Nasrin Sotoudeh has represented many political and human rights activists and has faced repeated security clashes. One of her most recent cases was that of a number of women protesting against the mandatory hijab in Iran, known as the “Girls of Revolution Street,” including Shaparak Shajarizadeh.
In her press conference, Heather Nauert sharply criticized the Islamic Republic's government, saying: "The Iranian regime imprisons people for peacefully exercising their rights, and then imprisons those who are recruited to defend them."
"These daily cases of human rights violations and arbitrary detentions are truly unacceptable," he added.
A number of Gonabadi dervishes who were severely beaten and arrested during the Golestan 7 incident have been sentenced to long prison terms.
The website "Majzooban Noor", which covers news about the Gonabadi dervishes, reported in early July that the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Salavati and Judge Ahmadzadeh, had sentenced 34 dervishes to a total of 114 years in prison.
On Monday, Majzooban Noor also announced the issuance of a 25-year prison sentence for a family of four from Gonabadi Dervishes.
A US State Department spokesperson said Washington is calling on its allies around the world to join the US "in calling on the Iranian regime to end its repression of its people for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms."
Iranian officials call US statements about human rights violations in Iran "unproven and false allegations" and consider them part of the US "campaign to exert pressure" against the country.
Iran has not yet responded to Heather Nauert's statements at a press conference at the White House on Wednesday.
Source: DW
