GENEVA (13 November 2020) – UN human rights experts* today welcomed the temporary release on 7 November 2020 of Iranian woman human rights defender and lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, and urged Iranian authorities to quash her convictions and ensure her release is permanent.
“The Iranian authorities have made the right decision to grant Nasrin Sotoudeh temporary release given her underlying health condition. However, there remain serious issues in connection with her convictions, sentences and detention that must be resolved urgently,” the experts said.
Ms. Sotouteh, an internationally recognised human rights lawyer, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted on seven charges in March 2019. Her convictions relate to her duties as a lawyer, including defending women human rights defenders. The experts have previously raised serious concerns that her current detention is arbitrary.