Human rights lawyer on hunger strike in Iranian prison

Nasrin Sotoudeh

Detained Iranian human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh managed to inform her family in an interrupted telephone contact that she is on the twelfth day of her hunger strike and her phone conversation was cut short when she attempted to inform her family of her dire situation in prison.

A knowledgeable source has told Radio Zamaneh: “Nasrin Sotoudeh was finally allowed to contact her home after 21 days of complete news blackout, but the phone conversation did not even last a minute during which she was only able to tell her spouse that since September 24 she has been on a hunger strike and indicate that she is under fierce pressure and threat.”

Nasirin Sotoudeh, legal representative of several political and social activists as well as juvenile offenders, was arrested on September 4 and taken to Evin Prison.

Her husband, Issa Khanadan had already informed Deutsche Welle that his wife may be on a hunger strike and added that he had been afforded no news of her since September 18.

He indicated that his wife had told him she would go on a hunger strike if the interval between her contacts with the outside exceeds four days.

Nasrin Sotoudeh’s father passed away while she was in prison but she was not allowed to attend his funeral or contact her mourning family.

She is also the mother of a ten-year-old and a three-year-old but since her arrest she is barred from any family visits and her husband and attorney have also been threatened with arrest in case they contact the media.

Sotoudeh has been charged with “activities against national security and propaganda against the regime.”