Nasrin Sotoudeh Awarded the Robert Badinter Public Grand Prix

Nasrin Sotoudeh’s message to the World Congress Against the Death Penalty:

Honourable President of the World Congress against the Death Penalty

Dear members,

With my due respects,

I have been informed in recent days that I am one of the four candidates for the Robert Badinter Public Grand Prix.

Oh! What a good opportunity to make our voices heard by the world and especially by your prestigious congress at a time when death sentences cast a shadow over our protesting youth in Iran.

I don’t yet know who I have the honour of being nominated along with but without a doubt, they’re all more deserving of this prize than me. I’m actually going to ask them and all participants at the congress who are attending out of concern, for help.

I, Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and political prisoner in Iran, ask all the world and this congress to be eyes and ears of Iranians during these difficult days. Days that see young people who’ve used their legal right to participate in the “Woman, Life, Liberty” protests, unfairly sentenced to death.

Changing the government’s behaviour towards protesters and restricting the judiciary from executing protesters, will help to abolish the death penalty in the future Iran.

These days, public opinion in Iran is closer than ever to abolishing the death penalty and aligning with the goals of the global human rights community to realise life based on peace, justice and law. Therefore, as a reliable civil institution, we ask you to help us in establishing peace, justice and abolishing the death penalty; may your support and solidarity in conveying the voice of Iranians for justice be the beginning of the end of the death penalty.

With best regards

Nasrin Sotoudeh

Iran, Tehran

November 2022