Arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh and enforced disappearance of Ahmadreza Haeri
About Nasrin Sotoudeh Status: Arrested
About the situation
On 1 April 2026, woman human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested in Tehran by agents of Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and transferred to an unknown detention centre. The reason behind the arrest or the charges against the woman human rights defender remain unknown. On 30 March 2026, human rights defender Ahmadreza Haeri, who was being held in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj province, was forcibly disappeared. Following the execution of two political political prisoners in Qezel Hesar Prison on 29 March 2026, the human rights defender and anti-death penalty campaigner was transferred to an unknown location together with 22 other political prisoners. These recent violations against Nasrin Sotoudeh and Ahmadreza Haeri demonstrate the heightened risk that human rights defenders are exposed to during the ongoing armed conflict.
About the HRD
Nasrin Sotoudeh is prominent woman human rights defender and lawyer, who has dedicated her legal career to representing opposition activists, women’s rights activists, and young prisoners. Nasrin Sotouteh is the recipient of numerous human rights awards, including the European Parliament’s Sahkarov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2012 and the Right Livelihood Award in 2020.
Meet Nasrin Sotoudeh