Iranian judiciary arrested Reza Khandan, the husband of jailed human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh who was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison.
We-change website writes that Khanadan reported to Evin Prison Court today after receiving a summons last week and was arrested without any clear charges laid against him.
Khandan has been very vocal in talking to the media about the situation of his wife in prison and the legal proceedings against her. He was reportedly warned by the judiciary against giving out interviews to the media regarding his wife’s case.
According to his family, the judiciary has issued a 50-thousand-dollar bail for Khandan but the efforts of his sister-in-law, sister of Nasrin Sotoudeh, to put up the bail have been refused by the court.
Nasrin Sotoudeh is a prominent Iranian lawyer whose practice was largely focused on human rights cases. In the post-election protests, she took on the defence of several political prisoners.
She is also a member of the Human Rights Defenders Centre in Iran which was founded, amongst other, by Iranian Nobel Peace laureate, Shirin Ebadi.
Sotoudeh was arrested in September and charged with "activities against national security", membership in the Human Rights Defenders Centre, "propaganda against the regime" and most recently, failing to cover her hair in a recorded interview.
She was sentenced to 11 years in prison and 20 years ban from legal practice as well as travel abroad.
Her lawyer is currently in the process of appealing her sentence.
Human rights organizations as well as several Iranian activists have protested the proceedings against Sotoudeh and called for her immediate release.
Shirin Ebadi, also a close friend of the jailed lawyer, has consistently spoken out against her arrest and also organized a sit-in in front of the UN offices in Nobvember in Geneva with six other Iranian rights activists to enlist the support of the UN’s High Commissioner of Human Rights, Navi Pillay in securing the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh.
