Reza Khandan: 38-Year Prison Sentence Handed Down to Nasrin Sotoudeh

Reza Khandan, husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh, emphasized in a conversation with Deutsche Welle that Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 38 years in prison. Refuting the statements of Judge Moghiseh, he said that the charge of “insulting the supreme leader” is not in Sotoudeh’s case, and part of the verdict was issued in an in absentia trial

Reza Khandan, husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh and a lawyer, told Deutsche Welle on Monday, March 11 (February 11) that Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 38 years in prison. Mr. Khandan elaborated on the details of his wife’s verdict: “Nasrin’s sentence was delivered to her in prison. She has been sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison with 148 lashes, of which 5 years of imprisonment is related to her first case and 33 years of imprisonment with 148 lashes is related to her second case.”

On Monday morning, French news agency AFP reported, citing IRNA, that Nasrin Sotoudeh, a recognized human rights activist in Iran, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

IRNA news agency also reported on Monday, citing Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, that Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of assembly against national security and two years in prison on the charge of insulting the supreme leader. When asked whether Nasrin Sotoudeh’s verdict was issued in absentia, Judge Moghiseh told IRNA: “No, it is not an in absentia verdict because although the defendant was not present in court, Ms. Sotoudeh had a lawyer, and therefore it was not an in absentia verdict.”

Reza Khandan told Deutsche Welle that the charge of insulting the supreme leader is not in his wife’s case and emphasized that the sentence handed down to his wife is 38 years in prison.

He said: “We have no knowledge of the case that Judge Moghiseh is speaking of. My wife was sentenced to 33 years in prison in an in absentia trial, and eight months before that, she was told that a five-year prison sentence previously issued for her would be carried out.”

Nasrin Sotoudeh was detained at her home on June 13, 2018, and has been in Evin Prison since then. According to Reza Khandan, an “in absentia” court session was held for her on seven charges on December 30 at Branch 28 of the Revolution Court presided over by Judge Moghiseh.

These seven charges are: “assembly and conspiracy against national security,” “propaganda activities against the system,” “effective membership in the illegal and anti-security group Defenders of Human Rights Center (Legam) and National Peace Council,” “inciting people to corruption and obscenity and facilitating such acts,” “appearing without proper Islamic hijab at the interrogation branch,” “disturbing public order and peace,” and “spreading falsehoods with the intent to incite public unrest.”

Reza Khandan emphasized in his conversation with Deutsche Welle that his wife engaged in professional and peaceful activities in the field of human rights within the framework of the law, and the 38-year prison sentence for her is astonishing.

When asked about the possibility of appealing this verdict by Nasrin Sotoudeh, he said: “The prison sentence is so severe that if a few years are reduced in the appellate phase, it would be almost like a joke. My wife is a recognized human rights activist who, with peaceful rhetoric and peaceful conduct, has worked within the framework of her professional activities to defend victims of human rights violations. Acceptance of such a verdict from Iran’s security judiciary is unacceptable to the public opinion and the global community.”

Source: DW