Strasbourg – Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh wins the Havel human rights prize

STRASBOURG, Sept 28 /ATSH-AFP/ – Iranian lawyer and activist Nasrin Sotoudeh was named on Monday the winner of the “Václav Havel” Human Rights Prize, awarded by the Council of Europe for the defense of human rights.

Sotoudeh is known for her opposition to the death penalty and to the compulsory wearing of the hijab by women in Iran.

The Council of Europe noted that she has defended lawyers, journalists, members of minorities and children facing execution, despite repeated arrests, long prison sentences and personal risk.

She is the first Iranian to receive the prize.

The final shortlist also included her compatriot Masih Alinejad, a journalist exiled in the United States and an activist against compulsory hijab, as well as Hungary’s Marta Pardavi, co-director of an organization defending the rights of asylum seekers.

In a video message sent from Tehran, Sotoudeh, 63, said that in such moments people remember the battles of the past, shared ideals and the support they receive from people around the world.

She expressed hope that one day “the sun of freedom will shine over our country too.”

The prize in Strasbourg was accepted by her daughter, Mehraveh Khandan Heris, as Sotoudeh herself is in Iran.

The prize was established in 2013 in honor of the former Czech dissident Václav Havel and comes with a €60,000 award.

Sotoudeh was arrested by Iranian authorities in April and released on bail more than a month later.

At the time, full details about the reasons for the arrest were not made public.

She has previously spent various periods in prison.

The Council of Europe said her arrest came amid concern for her safety and for reprisals against independent lawyers and human rights defenders in Iran.

Her husband, Reza Khandan, has also been in prison since December 2024.

According to human rights organizations, thousands of people have been arrested in Iran since the start of the US-Israeli offensive against the Islamic Republic on February 28.

Iranian authorities have meanwhile stated that more than 3,000 people lost their lives during anti-government protests in January, blaming the violence on what they described as terrorist acts organized by the US and Israel.