On 19 September 2013, the door to Nasrin Sotoudeh's prison cell was opened, and, for the first time in three years, she was allowed to walk freely.

She met her mother, her husband and her two young children, and celebrated her freedom from her unjust and politically-motivated imprisonment.

'Nowhere in the world was the ‘law’ upheld when written on torn sheets of paper.
'I have been aware of all your efforts on my behalf and I want to thank you for your work..'
Nasrin Sotoudeh

Nasrin's story

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a well-respected human right lawyer in Iran. Her clients have included children facing execution, peaceful protestors and civil rights activists.

But Iranian authorities were watching Nasrin's brave work. They froze her assets, threatened to prosecute her for ‘tax irregularities’ and finally arrested, charged and convicted Nasrin for ‘spreading propaganda against the system’ and ‘acting against national security’. 

In 2010 she was sentenced to Evin Prison in Tehran and banned from practising law. She was separated from Reza, her husband, and her children Mehraveh and Nima.

Nasrin was finally freed in 2013. However in August 2014, she was then made to go before the Disciplinary Tribunal for Lawyers as the Prosecutor General of Tehran sought to revoke her licence to practise law.

The Tribunal’s decision was issued on 30 August, confirming that Nasrin Sotoudeh may continue her work as a lawyer. She has received a full pardon from the Iranian authorities and is now able to resume her work as a lawyer once again.