Nasrin Sotoudeh Goes on Hunger Strike in Protest of Her Detention

Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband announced that this imprisoned lawyer has gone on a hunger strike in protest of her detention and the judicial pressures on her family and relatives. Reza Khandan announced this news on Saturday, September 3, by sharing a letter from Nasrin Sotoudeh on his Facebook page. In this letter, Ms. Sotoudeh protested the behavior of the Ministry of Intelligence agents towards her family, relatives, and friends, who, according to her, were searching their homes for "badges of protest against compulsory hijab." She stated: "When the relevant agents failed to find anything during the search of my sister-in-law's home, they stole their satellite receiver at the last moment." She further added that her correspondence with officials has been "fruitless" so far, and for this reason, she has gone on a hunger strike from September 3 in protest against her detention and the multiple judicial pressures on her family, relatives, and friends. Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights advocate, was arrested on June 13 and, according to Reza Khandan, remains in "temporary detention." Last month, Mr. Khandan wrote on his Facebook that this lawyer was sentenced to five years in prison in a case where the verdict was issued in absentia on October 5, 2016. Reza Khandan told Radio Farda that the Revolutionary Court condemned Ms. Sotoudeh based on Article 510 of the Islamic Penal Code, which pertains to aiding spies, while the Evin Prosecutor's Office did not charge Nasrin Sotoudeh with such an accusation, and the verdict does not match the indictment. According to a letter that Mr. Khandan published on September 3 on his Facebook, Ms. Sotoudeh also protested the detention of Farhad Mithaami, a 48-year-old civil activist and doctor, calling it illegal. Farhad Mithaami was arrested on July 30, and according to his mother, he has been on a hunger strike since then in protest of his detention and "unjust accusations" and has been transferred to medical care. Sediqa Pishnamaz, Mr. Mithaami's mother, told Radio Farda that the reason for her son's arrest was possessing several badges that read, "I protest against compulsory hijab." Mr. Mithaami has participated in various protests regarding prisoners' rights and compulsory hijab in recent years. Reza Khandan previously stated that agents called Farhad Mithaami's mother twice on the night of Wednesday, August 8, and played recordings of "beatings and forced confessions from her son."