Iran: Nasrin Sotoudeh on Furlough from Qarchak Prison

According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, Nasrin Sotoudeh was furloughed from Qarchak Prison. Reza Khandan, Nasrin’s husband confirmed the news on Twitter.

For unknown reasons, Nasrin was previously transferred from the women’s ward of Evin Prison to Qarchak Prison. Mizan news agency wrote in this regard: “According to paragraph (b) of Article 7 of the By-Laws on Separation and Classification of Prisoners, which came into effect on 30 November 2006, she was transferred to a women’s prison to serve her sentence for public crimes.”

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a lawyer and human rights activist who has represented many human rights activists, women's rights activists, victims of child abuse and juvenile defenders on death row. She was previously jailed from August 2010 to September 2013 for her professional and human rights activities.

She was arrested again on 13 June 2018 and sentenced to five years in prison in absentia on the charge of "concealing a spy." In a separate case of seven different charges, she was sentenced to 148 lashes and 33 years in prison by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Moghiseh. One of the charges against her was “membership in an illegal group”, referring to LEGAM, the step by step campaign to abolish the death penalty. Given the high number of charges against her, it is unclear how much of the sentence she will have to serve.