International Call for 'Immediate Action' Regarding Reza Khandan and Nasrin Sotoudeh

Several international human rights organizations sent a letter to UN and EU officials on Wednesday, December 19, highlighting the 'ongoing and prolonged harassment' of Reza Khandan, a human rights activist, and his wife Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer, and demanded 'immediate and concrete action' from them. Reza Khandan was arrested again on Friday, December 14, following a raid by Iranian security forces on his home. The letter mentioned Khandan's previous arrest in September 2018 for informing about Sotoudeh's detention and protesting against the compulsory hijab law, adding that the Iranian government accused him of 'propaganda against the regime' and 'collusion and committing a crime against national security.' Khandan was released on bail about three months later but was sentenced to six years in prison in January of the same year alongside Farhad Meysami, a human rights activist. According to the letter, on February 13, 2023, a few weeks after Nasrin Sotoudeh's interview with CNN, Khandan was asked to report to prison within 30 days to serve his sentence, but this order was not executed following a call from 22 international organizations. The letter further stated that Khandan's recent arrest coincided with the day the law 'Supporting Families by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab' was to be implemented, noting that Sotoudeh is among many Iranian women who oppose this law. The signatory organizations reminded that Khandan and his family continue to be victims of severe judicial harassment by the Iranian government and that the Islamic Republic authorities must 'immediately and unconditionally' revoke all summons and sentences against Reza Khandan and Nasrin Sotoudeh and end the harassment of this family. They also called for the recognition of freedom of thought, belief, religion, expression, assembly, and association, as well as the right to a fair trial in accordance with international laws by the Islamic Republic, and urged the government to end all forms of discrimination, harassment, and violence against its protesters and opponents. Among the recipients of this international call are Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief. The PEN America Association condemned Khandan's arrest, stating it was for a closed case; Nasrin Sotoudeh called it illegal. Nasrin Sotoudeh was released from prison after posting bail. Khandan was summoned to prison; his lawyer criticized the government's 'pretense' of 'pardoning political prisoners.'