Human Rights Attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh Back on Hunger Strike

Persian Report by Kaleme
Translation by Banooye Sabz | Edited by Persian2English

Monday, December 6, 2010 - According to reports by Kaleme, human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh informed her family in a telephone conversation yesterday that she will once again begin a dry hunger strike (no food or water) starting today in protest against her continued detention and the unjust incarceration of other innocent prisoners.

According to her husband, Reza Khandan, Sotoudeh made the decision to go on a dry hunger strike for the following reasons:

- The continuation of her 95 day temporary detention with out bail despite the fact that her court hearing took place 9 days ago and she has two young children.

- False, unkept promises by judiciary and security officials to overturn her temporary detention.

- Biased positions and violations of the law by the presiding judge responsible for the court hearing in the presence of Sotoudeh’s lawyers and other members of the Central Bar Association of Iran. Lack of impartiality by the presiding judge in finding Sotoudeh guilty before the completion of her trial.

- Disappearance of 12 legal letters containing requests by Sotoudeh from her case file.

- Threats to her lawyers during the court hearings.

- Announcement by the court that Sotoudeh would be charged with heavier crimes for hiring lawyers that are not acceptable and trusted by the court.

- Incarceration of Sotoudeh in Evin’s ward 209 for a period of 95 days with the intent to increase pressure through exposure to unbearable conditions.

- Preventing Sotoudeh’s two young children who have no access to cabin visitations from visiting with their mother. One exception was made during these 95 days but was harmful to the children due to altercations by prison officials with family members.

- A variety of restrictions on Sotoudeh including refusal to provide her pen and paper.

- Lack of timely announcement of the passing of Sotoudeh’s father and refusal to allow her temporary leave from prison in order to attend her father’s funeral; a legal right of every prisoner under Islamic law.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is charged, amongst other things, with “acting against the national security of the country” and was arrested on December 6th, 2010 and has been on a hunger strike several times since her arrest protesting the manner in which her case file has been handled.