Dozens of International Organizations and Hundreds of Activists Call for the Release of Reza Khandan and Nasrin Sotoudeh

Twenty-four international legal organizations, including the New York Bar Association, sent a letter to UN and EU human rights officials demanding a "firm, definite, and effective" commitment to end the judicial harassment of Reza Khandan, a human rights activist, and his wife Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer, by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The letter references the years-long campaign of harassment by the Iranian government against Khandan, Sotoudeh, and their family, describing it as a "severe judicial persecution." The signatories urged the Iranian government to "immediately and unconditionally cancel the summons issued against Reza Khandan, halt the execution of the sentence against him, drop all charges against him and his wife Nasrin Sotoudeh, and cease the long-term harassment campaign against them and their family for their efforts in defending women's rights against discrimination and humiliation, which contradicts the principle of civilization stated in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," which Iran accepted in 1948. The letter further states: "Acknowledging freedom of thought, conscience, religion, expression, assembly, and association, as well as the right to a fair trial, all of which are foundational to civilized life, the international community, including the European Union (considering its ongoing dialogues with Iran), must condemn all forms of discrimination, harassment, and violence by the Islamic Republic of Iran – including the use of brutal, often arbitrary, and deadly violence against peaceful protesters, savage beatings, torture and sexual violence, baseless detentions, unfounded prosecutions, show trials, and heavy sentences including flogging and years of imprisonment in primitive and overcrowded conditions – and of course, executions." Simultaneously, over 750 civil and political activists also called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of Reza Khandan, a civil activist and husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh. These activists described Khandan's detention as "violent" and "oppressive," stating he is a steadfast supporter of the "women's movement" and an advocate for "women's freedom of dress." Khandan's family reported that he was arrested at his home in Tehran on Friday morning, December 23. Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer and advocate, told Radio Farda that her husband's arrest was for the execution of "a sentence he received six years ago regarding the production of pins with the slogan 'I protest against compulsory hijab.'" Mahmoud Behzadi Rad, Khandan's lawyer, stated that this sentence was executed despite the Ministry of Intelligence, as the case's authority, having previously expressed its opposition to its execution. The 750 civil and political activists in their statement emphasized that the responsibility for Khandan's health and life rests with the Islamic Republic, asserting that the government has "turned another page in the book of oppression, repression, and human rights violations" by detaining him. The American PEN Association condemned Khandan's arrest and called for his immediate release, describing it as "petty and cruel retaliation" by the Islamic Republic. Reza Khandan was arrested in September 2018, and a few months later, the Revolutionary Court sentenced him and Farhad Mithaami to imprisonment and other penalties for "propaganda against the regime" and "acting against national security." The two, who produced and distributed pins protesting compulsory hijab, were each sentenced to six years in prison and a two-year ban from social media activities and leaving the country. Farhad Mithaami also emphasized on Friday that both of them, without having requested it, were granted amnesty and that this case has been closed.