German parliamentarians pursued endeavours to make the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh unassailable

Several German parliamentarians have exerted considerable pressure on Islamic Republic officials. They appeal for the final release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights activist. The 57-year-old lawyer’s health condition is terrible, and also has the Coronavirus. An open letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has signed by the Thirty-eight members of the German Bundestag. They say that the health condition of Nasrin Sotoudeh should not be the only reason for her release.

The letter written by Claudia Roth, deputy chairwoman of the Bundestag for the Green party, was signed by Anton Hofreiter, chairman of the Greens, and some other party members Gide Jensen of the Free Democrats, Barbell Kofler, Christoph Machi, Michael Brand from the German Christian Democrats and Dumcheitz-Berg and Gregor Gizi from the German Left Party. The letter notifies the medical treatment was the reason why Ms. Sotoudeh has been temporarily released from prison. The delegates voiced hope that the Iranian leadership would renounce suppressive behaviour against this human rights activist.

Nasrin Sotoudeh contradicted corona

On Wednesday, November 11, it was found to be the corona test result for Nasrin Sotoudeh is positive and that the virus had been transmitted to her from Qarchak female prison. Her husband, Reza Khandan, wrote on his Facebook a month ago that Ms. Sotoudeh had been transferred to this prison. The letter written by parliamentarians quoted Reza Khandan saying that in prison, located in the south of Tehran, the health situation is disastrous, significantly since the number of infected people in Iran had increased sharply in recent weeks.

The letter also refers to the 50-day hunger strike of Nasrin Sotoudeh in prison in protest of prisoners’ terrible situation in the Corona pandemic, her hospitalization for five days in September, and her conviction. She has been sentenced to 33 years and six months in prison as well as 148 lashes, of which she must serve 12 years sentence.

Ms. Sotoudeh has protested her innocence against all charges. In the letter written by Bundestag deputies, it was added that Nasrin Sotoudeh had only peacefully advocated women’s rights and demured the death sentence. She and her husband are prominent human rights activists in Iran.

The European Union awarded Nasrin Sotoudeh the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights in 2012. In October 2020, the Right Livelihood Foundation bestowed Nasrin Sotoudeh, the German Judges’ Award for Human Rights.

Due to illness, Nasrin Sotoudeh has been released on bail. We hope for the permanent release of  Nasrin Sotoudeh and the beginning of the release of all innocent prisoners, political prisoners, and prisoners of conscience that intolerant government names them security or public prisoners.

^{Source: DW Persian and Instagram page of Mehrangiz Kar (Iranian female lawyer)}

_{^{Featured image: Voanews}}

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