Nasrin Sotoudeh, Health Deteriorating, Breaks Hunger Strike

Imprisoned Human Rights Lawyer Had Been on Hunger Strike Since Aug 11

September 26, 2020—The imprisoned human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has broken the hunger strike she had been on since August 11, her husband, Reza Khandan told the Center for Human Rights in Iran today, September 26, 2020.

Her health had been severely deteriorating in recent days, and she was taken from Evin Prison to the hospital on September 19, but was returned to prison, despite concerning cardiac issues and an international outcry, on September 23.

Sotoudeh’s central demand, for which she embarked on her hunger strike, was for the release of Iran’s political prisoners, who were largely left out of Iran’s March 2020 mass prisoner release, which was implemented to stem the growing tide of COVID-19 infections in Iran’s overcrowded and unhygienic prisons.

Since that release, Iran’s political prisoners have been contracting COVID-19 at alarming rates.

“Nasrin Sotoudeh should not have to risk her life in order to call attention to the authorities’ unlawful and cruel disregard for the lives of political prisoners,” said CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi.

CHRI calls upon the authorities in Iran to immediately release from prison all political prisoners and human rights defenders, dual and foreign nationals, prisoners of conscience, and all others who have been unjustly imprisoned.