Officials express concerns over Sotoudeh's situation

Committee of Human Rights Reporters

Two officials expressed deep concerns over the situation of Nasrin Sotoudeh, prominent Iranian human rights Lawyer and asked Iranian authorities for her immediate release.

Fernando Henrique Cardoso:
His Excellency
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St.
Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Your Excellency,

With highest respect and consideration for the important work the Iranian Judiciary is carrying out to ensure justice, rule of law and well-being of society I am writing to you to bring to your attention the situation of Mrs. Nasrin Sotudeh.

Mrs.Sotudeh has recently been sentenced by judge Pirabassi of the Revolutionary Court number 26 to eleven years of imprisonment and is banned from practicing law and leaving the country for 20 years. She is appealing this decision. Meanwhile she remains in Evin prison with extremely limited possibilities to see her family and her little son and daughter. Her health condition is critical due to many days of hunger strike.

Mrs. Sotudeh is known as a lawyer committed to human rights and children’s rights and has dedicated her life to such noble causes. It would be extremely sad if such engagement would be punished harshly by the Iranian judiciary when the respect for human rights is not only part of the Iranian constitution but also part of thousands of years of Iranian history and of Islam.

I would be extremely grateful if you could ensure that her case is properly reviewed, due process and merciful treatment is ensured and that her humanitarian conditions are being taken into consideration. Please note my highest hopes that the Iranian Judiciary does ensure justice for citizens that serve the proud and great Iranian nation by upholding a lawful defense of human rights in the country.

I am wishing you well in your difficult endeavors and would be grateful for your attention and action on this important matter.

Yours sincerely,

His Excellency Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani Head of the Judiciary Pasteur St. Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri Tehran 1316814737 Islamic Republic of Iran E-mail: [email protected]

Mary Robinson:
Excellency,

I write to express serious concern about the human rights lawyer Ms. Nasrin Sotoudeh. I have admired her work over the years, and I am very worried to learn that she has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, following her initial arrest on September 4.

My concern has deepened with the knowledge that she went on hunger strike until her family persuaded her to come off the protest. In addition to her harsh prison sentence, I understand that this fine human rights lawyer has been banned from practising as a lawyer, or leaving her country, for the next 20 years. It is not credible to those of us aware of her commitment to human rights work, that Nasrin could have merited a prison sentence of 11 years. I ask that her case be reviewed as a matter of urgency, and that she be released to her family on clemency grounds given her failing health.

Sincerely yours
Mary Robinson
Former President of Ireland
Former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights