Iran’s authorities have released human rights lawyer and political prisoner Nasrin Sotoudeh on temporary furlough.
Mizan News Agency, the outlet for Iran’s judiciary, wrote on Saturday, “Nasrin Sotoudeh… went on furlough with the agreement of the assistant superintendent of the women’s prison.”
No explanation was given for the sudden release. However, two senior judiciary official had visited Qarchak Prison, where Sotoudeh was transferred last month, and spent hours talking to prisoners about their conditions.
Sotoudeh’s husband Reza Khandan confirmed on Twitter, “Friends, Nasrin came out on furlough a few minutes ago.”
Sotoudeh was kept behind bars in March when many detainees were furloughed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Last month she was punished, over a 47-day hunger strike, with the transfer to Qarchak, notorious for overcrowding and poor conditions.
Sotoudeh was a political prisoner from 2010 to 2013 over her representation of participants in mass protests after Iran’s dispute 2009 Presidential election. She was detained again in June 2018 because of her defense of women protesting against compulsory hijab.
The human rights defender has been given concurrent totaling 33 years in prison and 148 lashes for “conspiracy against national security”, “spreading lies”, and “disturbing public opinion”. She must serve at least 12 years.
The winner of the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights, began the hunger strike on August 11. She halted it in late September after she was returned to Tehran’s Evin Prison, in what Khandan called “the worst of physical conditions without any medical intervention”, following five days in hospital.
It is worth remembering that American lawyer, Lynne Stewart, wrongfully jailed for 10 years for helping her client, was given compassionate release. due to illness. Unfortunately, it was too late for her and she died of cancer shortly after.
Sotoudeh should never have been imprisoned. She should have been given a delayed sentence or barred from practising law as a punishment.