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| UK urges Iran to release human rights lawyer on hunger strike | UK urges Iran to release human rights lawyer on hunger strike |
| (8 days later) | |
| Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, has called on Iran to reconsider the "outrageous" and "deplorable" detention of the prominent lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is on the eighth day of a hunger strike. | Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, has called on Iran to reconsider the "outrageous" and "deplorable" detention of the prominent lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is on the eighth day of a hunger strike. |
| Sotoudeh is serving a six-year jail term in Tehran's notorious Evin prison after being found guilty of "acting against the national security" and "propaganda against the regime" – charges that human rights activists say were trumped-up. | Sotoudeh is serving a six-year jail term in Tehran's notorious Evin prison after being found guilty of "acting against the national security" and "propaganda against the regime" – charges that human rights activists say were trumped-up. |
| Last week, Sotoudeh, a mother of two children, stopped eating in protest at the state's harassment of her family. Her husband, Reza Khandan, and their 12-year-old daughter, Mehraveh, are subject to a travel ban and have been summoned to court, in what Amnesty International describes as an attempt to force her family to stop campaigning for her release. | Last week, Sotoudeh, a mother of two children, stopped eating in protest at the state's harassment of her family. Her husband, Reza Khandan, and their 12-year-old daughter, Mehraveh, are subject to a travel ban and have been summoned to court, in what Amnesty International describes as an attempt to force her family to stop campaigning for her release. |
| The 45-year-old women's rights activist was arrested in September 2010 and initially sentenced to 11 years in prison but had her conviction reduced to six years' imprisonment last year. | The 45-year-old women's rights activist was arrested in September 2010 and initially sentenced to 11 years in prison but had her conviction reduced to six years' imprisonment last year. |
| Sotoudeh's arrest was believed to be linked to her representation of Shirin Ebadi, a colleague and Iranian Nobel peace prize laureate currently living in exile. | Sotoudeh's arrest was believed to be linked to her representation of Shirin Ebadi, a colleague and Iranian Nobel peace prize laureate currently living in exile. |
| "Imprisoning Nasrin Sotoudeh on the outrageous basis of 'co-operation with Shirin Ebadi's Centre for the Defence of Human Rights' is deplorable," Hague told the Guardian. "We urge the Iranian authorities to review her case urgently. We will continue to stand up for human rights defenders in Iran". | "Imprisoning Nasrin Sotoudeh on the outrageous basis of 'co-operation with Shirin Ebadi's Centre for the Defence of Human Rights' is deplorable," Hague told the Guardian. "We urge the Iranian authorities to review her case urgently. We will continue to stand up for human rights defenders in Iran". |
| A spokesman for the EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, echoed Hague's remarks. "We are following the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh and other human rights defenders in Iran with great concern," said the spokesman. "We will continue to campaign for the charges against them to be dropped, and look to Iran to respect the human rights obligations it has signed up to." | A spokesman for the EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, echoed Hague's remarks. "We are following the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh and other human rights defenders in Iran with great concern," said the spokesman. "We will continue to campaign for the charges against them to be dropped, and look to Iran to respect the human rights obligations it has signed up to." |
| During a visit to Tehran in August, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, pressed Iranian officials over the country's record on human rights. In October, the UN's Iran special rapporteur on human rights, Ahmed Shaheed, heavily criticised Tehran in a report detailing the harassment of its imprisoned activists who are subjected to mock executions, rape, sleep deprivation, and threats to their families. | During a visit to Tehran in August, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, pressed Iranian officials over the country's record on human rights. In October, the UN's Iran special rapporteur on human rights, Ahmed Shaheed, heavily criticised Tehran in a report detailing the harassment of its imprisoned activists who are subjected to mock executions, rape, sleep deprivation, and threats to their families. |
| On Wednesday, Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, attacked Ban and Shaheed in an unusually brusque speech, denying the human rights allegations against his country. He accused Ban of humiliating the identity of the United Nations with what he described as a "political dance" and likened Shaheed's report to "international savagery". | On Wednesday, Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, attacked Ban and Shaheed in an unusually brusque speech, denying the human rights allegations against his country. He accused Ban of humiliating the identity of the United Nations with what he described as a "political dance" and likened Shaheed's report to "international savagery". |
| "You [the west] seem to expect us to respect the western savagery in sodomy as legal," said Larijani. | "You [the west] seem to expect us to respect the western savagery in sodomy as legal," said Larijani. |
| In Evin prison, north of the Iranian capital, Sotoudeh is held behind bars alongside some of the defendants she represented, including several political activists and protesters arrested in the aftermath of Iran's 2009 disputed presidential election. | In Evin prison, north of the Iranian capital, Sotoudeh is held behind bars alongside some of the defendants she represented, including several political activists and protesters arrested in the aftermath of Iran's 2009 disputed presidential election. |
| Sotoudeh's own lawyer, Abdolfattah Soltani, has also been arrested and sentenced to 13 years in jail, as well as many of their colleagues, including Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who saved the life of an Iranian Christian pastor on death row for apostasy. | Sotoudeh's own lawyer, Abdolfattah Soltani, has also been arrested and sentenced to 13 years in jail, as well as many of their colleagues, including Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who saved the life of an Iranian Christian pastor on death row for apostasy. |
| Others in jail include Houtan Kian, the lawyer who fell foul of the authorities for highlighting the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Kian was arrested in 2010 and has been allegedly subjected to torture. The fate of both Ashtiani and Kian is unclear. | Others in jail include Houtan Kian, the lawyer who fell foul of the authorities for highlighting the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Kian was arrested in 2010 and has been allegedly subjected to torture. The fate of both Ashtiani and Kian is unclear. |
| Sotoudeh's human rights activities have been recognised internationally, especially her defence of juvenile offenders. Iran has been notorious for its execution of juveniles, but now waits until the age of 18 before carrying out death sentences handed down to those under that age. In 2011 at least 143 child offenders were on death row in Iranian prisons, waiting to go to the gallows on their 18th birthday. | Sotoudeh's human rights activities have been recognised internationally, especially her defence of juvenile offenders. Iran has been notorious for its execution of juveniles, but now waits until the age of 18 before carrying out death sentences handed down to those under that age. In 2011 at least 143 child offenders were on death row in Iranian prisons, waiting to go to the gallows on their 18th birthday. |
| "Several officials from different organizations have talked to her, but nothing serious has happened to lead to her ending her hunger strike," Sotoudeh's husband, Khandan, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, a US-based non-governmental organisation. "Nasrin has demands, the most important one of which is for the pressure to be lifted from her family, particularly our 12-year-old daughter who has been banned from foreign travel." | "Several officials from different organizations have talked to her, but nothing serious has happened to lead to her ending her hunger strike," Sotoudeh's husband, Khandan, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, a US-based non-governmental organisation. "Nasrin has demands, the most important one of which is for the pressure to be lifted from her family, particularly our 12-year-old daughter who has been banned from foreign travel." |
| According to Khandan, Sotoudeh appeared haggard and weak during a prison visit with her family on Sunday. "She appeared a lot more frail after five days of hunger strike, as compared to two years ago, when she was on a hunger strike for 28 days," he said. "The reason for this is quite clear. She has lost her strength over the past two years in prison and she no longer has the strength for a hunger strike. | According to Khandan, Sotoudeh appeared haggard and weak during a prison visit with her family on Sunday. "She appeared a lot more frail after five days of hunger strike, as compared to two years ago, when she was on a hunger strike for 28 days," he said. "The reason for this is quite clear. She has lost her strength over the past two years in prison and she no longer has the strength for a hunger strike. |
| "I am seriously worried for her since I saw her yesterday. No matter how hard I tried to talk her out of the hunger strike, Nasrin had no interest in breaking it." | "I am seriously worried for her since I saw her yesterday. No matter how hard I tried to talk her out of the hunger strike, Nasrin had no interest in breaking it." |
| While in jail, Sotoudeh has repeatedly been denied visits from her children, including once for refusing to wear a chador, the full-length cloak worn by Iranian women. "I know that you require water, food, housing, a family, parents, love, and visits with your mother," she wrote to her children in a letter from jail, according to the opposition website persian2english.com . "However, just as much, you need freedom, social security, the rule of law, and justice." | While in jail, Sotoudeh has repeatedly been denied visits from her children, including once for refusing to wear a chador, the full-length cloak worn by Iranian women. "I know that you require water, food, housing, a family, parents, love, and visits with your mother," she wrote to her children in a letter from jail, according to the opposition website persian2english.com . "However, just as much, you need freedom, social security, the rule of law, and justice." |
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