A human rights monitoring groups has reported that a prominent Iranian lawyer has been arrested and convicted of a security related crime in a secret trial. It has been reported that she may be facing a very lengthy sentence. As a lawyer, her focus is directed upon women who defy Iran’s head-covering rule for all women. The group learned of her arrest in June by her husband, saying she was seized in their own home and taken into custody immediately. Mrs. Sotoudeh, 55, has been in and out of prison several times and serves as a symbolism of freedom against the Iranian Religious hierarchy. Not to mention the fact that she won Europe’s most prestigious human rights award in 2012. She was arrested around the same time she was defending cases of women who took their hijabs off in public. Although not officially charged, her husband was sentenced to serve six years for publicly posting updates on his wife’s case on Facebook. He has yet to be imprisoned. The couple have two young children. Ms. Sotoudeh has requested a lawyer of her choosing to represent her in trial, but her request was unfortunately denied. The National Iranian American Council was appalled by the news of her arrest and several charges, and called for her immediate release. The Council states that the blame for her arrest lies soley with the Iranian authorities, but also point a finger at President Trump.
To hear about Ms. Sotoudeh’s arrest is extremely upsetting and uncomforting to me. In addition, the fact that this news has not reached Iranian media outlets emphasizes the corruption that lies with Iranian authorities. They do not want the news to get out in order to prevent outcries, riots, and opposing opinions towards their criminal actions. She is targeted and has become a victim purely based on the fact that she stands up for basic human rights such as freedom. The Iranian authorities are out to get her because she speaks out against forceful religious rules such as the requirement to wear a hijab. I respect her for standing up against this oppression and is a great role model for her two young children, especially if she has girls.