Iran releases human rights lawyer temporarily from jail

Iran maintains it heavy-handed crackdown on the opposition. This has always been a contentious issue between the Iranian regime and the West.

Temporary release

On Nov. 7, Iranian authorities released human rights lawyer Nesrin Sotoudeh who was imprisoned more than two years ago.

Sotoudeh's release came after European governments ratcheted up pressure on Tehan. A European Parliament award winner, Sotoudeh was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Her husband expressed fears in the past period over her health condition, with Covid-19 hitting everywhere inside Iranian prisons.

Covid-19 female prisoners

Sotoudeh was temporarily released, according to the Iranian judiciary. Her husband said he expected she would be transferred to hospital.

Nevertheless, prison authorities transferred her to the women's prison, having been convicted of committing a public crime.

Sotoudeh's husband said his wife had ended a hunger strike that lasted for 45 days. She spent a few days at the cardiology department at one of the hospitals after her health condition deteriorated, he said.

The human rights lawyer staged the hunger strike in protest against deteriorating conditions inside the prison, especially for women. These conditions were even more worrying in the presence of fears from the spread of the coronavirus inside the prisons. Iran is one of the hardest hit states in the region by the disease.

European countries increased pressures on Iran in the past period to release Sotoudeh.

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner expressed concern in October over the conditions of political prisoners and human rights advocates in Iranian prisons.

Sotoudeh life, she said, could be in danger.

The commissioner said she had asked the Iranian government to release Sotoudeh temporarily within a government move to reduce density inside the prisons.