Statement by Heather Nauret on the Arrest of Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh

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.