Iran released prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh on bail on Wednesday, her daughter said, after authorities arrested her at home on April 1 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The daughter said in a post that her mother had been given temporary bail a few hours earlier. [2, 3]
Sotoudeh is one of Iran’s best-known rights lawyers and has been jailed or arrested multiple times over her advocacy. She won the 2012 Sakharov Prize and, according to one report, the 2020 Livelihood Award. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The arrest came during a period of heightened Iranian crackdown tied to conflict with the United States and Israel, according to the reports. It was not clear what charges Sotoudeh may still face after her release. [1, 2, 3, 4]
One report also said Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was released on bail on May 10 and taken to Tehran for treatment. Another report said Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan, has been imprisoned in Iran since December 2024. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The latest confirmed development is Sotoudeh’s temporary release on bail, reported on May 13, with her daughter saying it came just hours earlier. [1, 2, 3, 4]
