From the Gulf Center for Human Rights

On 11 March 2019, human rights defender Reza Khandan posted on his facebook page that, “Nasrin’s sentence in relation to her last cases has been informed to her in prison. 38 years in prison and 148 lashes. 5 years in prison in relation to the first case and 33 years in prison and 148 lashes in relation to the second case.”

On 13 June 2018, Nasrin Sotoudeh was taken from her home in Tehran. During the interrogation, she was told that the charges against her are “propaganda against the state,” for allegedly being a member of LEGAM, an NGO opposed to the death penalty, and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

On 15 August 2018, Sotoudeh in a separate trial was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia for the two charges as well as for “espionage”. She has appealed the conviction.

Reports suggested that her detention is related to her legal representation of women arrested in Iran for peacefully protesting against the Islamic Republic’s compulsory hijab law, and for criticising the judiciary.

For many years, Sotoudeh has represented prominent opposition activists, and was previously imprisoned from 2010 to 2013, after being convicted on security-related charges for her human rights work. She was initially sentenced to 11 years in prison, reduced to six years and then released after three years.

Sotoudeh was awarded the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Union in 2012. She has two children.

GCHR expresses serious concern at the continued targeting and harassment of human rights defenders in Iran and the lack of civic space. GCHR also condemns in the strongest terms the harsh sentence passed against Nasrin Sotoudeh, a peaceful human rights defender, targeted simply for doing her job as a lawyer.

Full article found at Center for Human Rights.