Reza Khandan: Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 38 years in prison

Reza Khandan, Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband, confirmed in an interview with Deutsche Welle that Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 38 years in prison. He rejected Judge Moghiseh's statements and said that the charge of "insulting the leadership" is not in Sotoudeh's case and that part of the sentence was issued in absentia.

Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband, lawyer Reza Khandan, told Deutsche Welle on Monday, February 11, that Nasrin Sotoudeh had been sentenced to 38 years in prison. Mr. Khandan said of the details of his wife's sentence: "Nasrin's sentence was communicated to her in prison. She has been sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison with 148 lashes, of which 5 years in prison for the first case and 33 years in prison with 148 lashes for the second case."

Earlier on Monday, AFP reported, citing ISNA, that Nasrin Sotoudeh, a well-known human rights activist in Iran, had been sentenced to seven years in prison.

IRNA news agency also quoted Judge Mohammad Moghiseh as saying on Monday that Nasrin Sotoudeh had been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of gathering against national security and two years in prison on charges of insulting the leader. In response to the question whether Nasrin Sotoudeh was sentenced in absentia, Judge Moghiseh told IRNA: “No, it is not a sentence in absentia because although the defendant was not present in court, Ms. Sotoudeh had a lawyer, and therefore it was not a sentence in absentia.”

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

"We are not aware of the case that Judge Moghiseh is talking about," he said. "My husband was sentenced to 33 years in prison in absentia, and eight months before that, he was told that the five-year prison sentence he had previously received would be carried out."

Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested at her home on June 14, 2018, and has been held in Evin Prison since then. According to Reza Khandan, a trial for her was held in absentia on seven charges on January 28 at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Moghiseh.

These seven charges include “gathering and colluding against national security,” “propaganda activity against the system,” “effective membership in the illegal and anti-security group Legam Human Rights Defenders Center and the National Peace Council,” “encouraging people to corruption and prostitution and providing the conditions for it,” “appearing without a religious veil at the interrogation branch,” “disturbing public order and peace,” and “spreading lies with the intention of disturbing public opinion.”

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Reza Khandan emphasized that his wife had been working within the framework of the law and had been peacefully active in the field of human rights, and that the 38-year prison sentence was astonishing for her.

In response to a question about Nasrin Sotoudeh's appeal in this case, he said: "The prison sentence is so severe that even if it is reduced by a few years during the appeal stage, it will be more like a joke. My husband is a well-known human rights activist who, with peaceful language, has behaved peacefully in defending victims of human rights violations within the framework of his professional activities. Accepting such a sentence from the Iranian security judiciary is unacceptable to public opinion and the international community."

Source: DW