After two trials, Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human and women rights lawyer in Iran, faces 34 years in prison as well as 148 lashes after defending women who protested wearing hijabs in public. Multiple organizations, including Amnesty International, are now calling on the Head of the Judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Mission of Iran to the UN to release Sotoudeh.
Nasrin Sotoudeh was detained in June of 2018 without warning and was originally told after the arrest that she would serve five years in prison without trial. Now, after two ongoing court cases that Amnesty International is calling “grossly unfair,” her punishment has increased to 34 years.
The trial regarding Sotoudeh’s charges took place without her or her lawyer present, on December 30th of 2018. Sotoudeh was not allowed at her trial due to her “inappropriate” dress. The Court decision ruled to charge Sotoudeh with seven criminal offenses including “inciting corruption and prostitution” and “openly committing a sinful act… by appearing in public without a hijab.”
As of now Sotoudeh remains detained in prison.
Media: Amnesty International 2018; The Guardian 2018
