Nasrin Soutoudeh,
one of Iran’s most prominent human rights and women’s rights
activist went on a hunger strike for the second time on October
31st to protest her unlawful detention and ill treatment in
Iran’s Evin Prison. Nasrin Soutoudeh has been in detention since
September 4th and denied visit with her lawyer since her arrest.
Last week for the first time her two children, three and eleven
years old visited her in prison. The children left Evin prison
with a broken heart. They found their mother in poor heath and
so frail that she could not even hug them. Nasrin Sotoudeh is
charged with “acting against national security,” “congregation
and collusion with intent to disrupt national security,” and
“cooperation with the Center for Human Rights Defenders.” She
described the charges against her as “absurd” in an interview
with the International Campaign for Human Rights in early September.
Four months prior to her arrest, the authorities had warned
her in a phone call that if she does not withdraw from Shirin
Ebadi’s defense, she would ” get into trouble.” Nasrin’s trial
is set for November 15th but with a dry hunger strike from October
31st, she may not live to see her trial.
Nasrin is a fine human being, a devoted women’s
rights activists and a dedicated lawyer to the cause of justice.
She is a member of the Campaign for One Million Signature and
the Defenders Human Rights Center. Her professional life is
dedicated to the cause of civil and political rights in Iran.
She defended Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi and has contributed
to the legal literature of issues such as death penalty for
Juvenile offenders and women’s human rights.
In a society where human rights standards are
violated, the work of human rights lawyers can be a dangerous
proposition. In a society that even the fragile and flawed “civil
law” is not being honored by the state, that the work of human
rights lawyers is constrained and the safety of their families
and loved ones is greatly endangered, a society that the pressure
on human rights defenders ranges from death threats, repealing
their accreditation, arrest and detention of them and their
family, human rights lawyer like Nasrin Sotoudeh are brave souls
standing firm against these injustices. Nasrin Sotoudeh deserves
recognition and awards for her dedication to protect the civil
rights and human rights of those in detention. Nasrin Sotoudeh
represents the conscious of a nation for justice and the resilient
soul of Iranian women defending rights and dignity for all.
Nasrin defended numerous cases of human rights
activist including Shirin Ebadi. She also represented a number
of cases for the activists of Campaign for One Million Signatures
in Iran. Nasrin’s relentless efforts in human rights education
focused on the death penalty sentence for juvenile offenders.
Iran, is one of the few countries still practicing this atrocious
practice.
On October 8th, 2010 Jo Becker, children's rights
advocacy director at Human Rights Watch said "Countries
around the world have banned this barbaric punishment for children,"
and "Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan should seize the opportunity
to end this practice around the world once and for all."
“In 2009, Iran executed at least five adolescent offenders.
More than 100 juvenile offenders remain under the death
sentence. The Iranian Judiciary continues to harass, prosecute,
and detain human rights lawyers critical of the government's
execution of juvenile offenders. “Nasrin advocates
for banning execution of juvenile offenders and in an article
published at the Feminist School website wrote “..there is one
fundamental question which is, would the new generation of the
children where the law punishes them as adults ever part take
in solidarity for other children’s rights in the future?”
The International Campaign for Human Rights in
Iran calls on global rights community and the United Nations
to demand “The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Navi Pillay, should immediately intervene with Iranian authorities
to ensure the physical well being of detained human rights lawyer
Nasrin Sotoudeh”.
Amnesty International also issued an action on
behalf of Nasin Sotoudeh on November 5th. Amnesty International
stated that “The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers
provide that lawyers must be allowed to carry out their work
“without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference.”
In addition, it affirms the right of lawyers to freedom of expression,
also provided for in Article 19 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, which includes “the right to
take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law,
the administration of justice and the promotion and protection
of human rights.”
Nasrin Sotoudeh has never committed any crimes
and has never disrupted national security. She is the voice
and defender of those that their civil and political rights
have been violated, men and women who participated in the peaceful
post election demonstrations and those who collected signatures
to change discriminatory laws. She is being detained perhaps,
because her work in human rights disrupted the security of those
in position of power. As a human rights lawyer, Nasrin is cognizant
that the Iranian judiciary has long lost its independence and
become a tool in the hands of intelligence and security services.
As in the words of Jean-Paul Sartre “Freedom is
what you do with What’s been done to you.” Nasrin
Sotoudeh is the symbol of resistance.
|
