Nasrin Sotoudeh Released from Prison on Bail

Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband announced on Wednesday evening, November 15, that the human rights lawyer was released from prison "on bail and before the trial." Reza Khandan shared a photo on social media platform X, informing about the release of this attorney who had been arrested during the funeral of Armita Garavand. He wrote: "Nasrin was released a few hours ago on bail and before the trial..." Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested after attending the funeral of 16-year-old Armita Garavand without mandatory hijab and was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. This human rights activist stated in a message from prison that 43 people, including 23 women and 20 men, were arrested at the ceremony. She emphasized that the arrested women had "risked their hair" in the "entirely male and security-oriented Evin Prison." She also reported on the violence of government agents against participants in Armita Garavand's funeral, including dragging her and Manzar Pourzarabi, family members of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash, on the ground and using several tasers on her legs during the arrest. This well-known human rights lawyer received the first "Heroine Woman" award from the German Alice Schwarzer Foundation after her arrest. Earlier, in October, she was awarded the "2023 Democracy Medal" from the University of Pennsylvania for her struggle for democracy in Iran. Reports have also emerged of "mass arrests" of female civil activists in Rasht, the prevention of Narges Mohammadi's transfer to the hospital due to not wearing a mandatory hijab, the execution of a Baluch woman in Kerman prison, the confirmation of an 8-month prison sentence for Hamidreza Najafi by the appeals court, and the arrest of two journalists and an environmental activist in Rasht.