Gender: Female
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: Yes
Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes
Date of Detainment: October/29/2023
Date of Release: November/15/2023
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Resisting State-Imposed Religious Systems Women’s Rights
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Nasrin Soutudeh was detained on a religious basis.
On October 29, 2023, Iranian authorities arrrested Soutudeh, an Iranian human rights activist and lawyer, during the funeral of Armita Geravand, a 17-year-old girl who fell into a coma and died after being beaten on the Tehran metro, reportedly by security officers, for wearing improper hijab. Soutudeh is currently being held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin. She was reportedly severely beaten during her arrest and began a hunger and medicine strike on the day of her arrest.
On November 13, 2023, Soutudeh was reportedly forcibly transferred to Evin Prison. Soutudeh reportedly ended her hunger strike but did not receive adequate medical care for severe asthma tied to cardiac issues while in Qarchak Prison.
On November 15, 2023, Soutudeh was released from prison after posting bail.
Iran has repeatedly targeted Soutudeh for defending women activists who protested Iran’s mandatory headscarf laws. Soutudeh was released from Evin prison on temporary medical furlough in November 2020 after contracting COVID-19. She was again granted temporary medical furlough in January 2021 for heart problems, and had an additional two-week medical furlough coinciding with the Persian New Year in March 2021. On April 5, 2021, she returned to prison until a five-day medical furlough in July 2021.
Photo attributed to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Iranian Rights Lawyer Sotoudeh Released From Prison After Posting Bail, Husband Says" Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
IranHumanRights.org, Tweet, November 13, 2023
USCIRF Commissioner Susie Gelman, Tweet, November 2, 2023
"Multiple Arrests Made at Armita Geravand’s Funeral" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Famed Iranian Rights Lawyer Reportedly Jailed and Beaten" New York Times
"Jailed Iranian Activist Sotoudeh on Hunger and Medicine Strike" Iran Wire
USCIRF Country Update: Iran August 2021
USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer, Tweet, April 7, 2021
USCIRF, Tweet, December 9, 2020
USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore, Tweet, December 3, 2020