Iranian women activists begin sit in for their jailed colleague in Iran

(facebook) Iranian activists in Geneva today

Seven Iranian political and women’s rights activists started their protest for the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, outside United Nations human rights headquarters in Geneva today, despite extreme weather conditions.

A Facebook page launched for this protest reported that Shirin Ebadi, Mahboubeh Gholizadeh, Mansoureh Shojai, Shadi Sadr, Parvin Ardalan, Khadijeh Moghaddam and Asieh Amini finally managed to reach the United Nations headquarters in Geneva despite the heavy snowfall in Europe and started their sit in in support of Nasrin Sotoudeh, the Iranian lawyer who has been incarcerated in Iran for over a hundred days.

Shirin Ebadi told reporters at the location: “Ms. Pillay should be aware that a lawyer, a human rights activist in Iran, is at death’s door and she needs to do something.”

The Nobel Peace laureate went on to add: “Nasrin Sotoudeh is not the only political prisoner in Iran and a number of other prisoners are also on hunger strike and over 40 journalists and bloggers are incarcerated as well.”

Three days ago, these Iranian activists announced that they will hold a sit in at the United Nation’s office in Geneva today, December 20, in order to protest against the situation of Nasrin Sotoudeh in Iran’s Evin Prison.

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer predominately involved in human rights cases, was arrested in Iran last September and has been held in solitary confinement ever since in an undetermined legal state. She is currently on hunger strike in protest to unjust treatment by the judiciary and the prison authorities.

Shirin Ebadi told Radio Zamaneh that their sit in will continue for an “undetermined” time stressing that they have gathered in protest because Sotoudeh’s health is failing due to the hunger strike. She added: “Our demand is Nasrin’s release on bail and an examination of the charges against her in a just court.”

Iranian authorities have declined several applications by her lawyer for a bail hearing.