On the occasion of the VIII World Congress against the death penalty, organized from 15 to 18 November in Berlin, Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was named Robert-Badinter Prize Winner. This award, named after the figure of abolitionism in France, was presented to him in recognition of his fight for human rights in Iran. Held in his country under threats from the Iranian regime, it was Mahmmod Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights (IHR), who received his award from the hands of the former French Minister of Justice, Christiane Taubira.
The symbol of the fight against the death penalty
Nasrin Sotoudeh, 59, has dedicated her career as a lawyer to fighting the death penalty in Iran. It would be even more accurate to say that he dedicated his life to it, reaching the point of approaching death. In March 2019, the activist was sentenced to 33 years in prison (only the heaviest sentence, 10 years to be served), and 148 lashes, in particular for defending the right of Iranian women not to wear the veil in public spaces, but also for having participated in a demonstration against the death penalty. After starting a hunger strike, which lasted 45 days, the lawyer was urgently hospitalized in November 2020. For the moment, she remains away from her cell.
The voice of protesters in Iran
A few days before the awarding of the prize, the activist had sent a letter to 1,500 delegates from 128 different countries. “I, Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and political prisoner in Iran, ask the whole world and this congress to be the eyes and ears of Iranians in these difficult days., he wrote then. Days in which young people who have used their legal right to participate in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” demonstrations are unjustly sentenced to death. The lawyer is referring here to the five protesters sentenced to death in November. Since the death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September, demonstrations against the regime in Tehran have multiplied. The 22-year-old student, arrested by the morality police on the pretext that her veil did not cover her hair sufficiently, had died as a result of the violence perpetrated during her arrest. In 2 months already 342 people died during the demonstrations.
Front page image: Youtube screenshot
Source: Madmoizelle
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
