U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
STATEMENT BY HEATHER NAUERT, SPOKESPERSON
June 14, 2018
Arrest of Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh
We are deeply concerned by reports that Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arrested again. Ms. Sotoudeh was reportedly arrested today at her home and taken to Evin Prison, the notorious prison the U.S. Department of Treasury designated last month in connection with its involvement in the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses. Ms. Sotoudeh most recently represented women unjustly detained for protesting Iran’s mandatory hijab law. First arrested in 2010, Ms. Sotoudeh has spent the past several years harassed by the Iranian regime and has been routinely placed behind bars for daring to defend the rights of those in Iran. We applaud Ms. Sotoudeh’s bravery and her fight for the long-suffering victims of the regime. We call on Iranian authorities to release her immediately, along with the hundreds of others who are currently imprisoned simply for expressing their views and desires for a better life.
