Courtesy of Nasrin Sotoudeh
‘Now Reza Is the One in Prison’: Nasrin Sotoudeh on the Pain of Watching Her Husband Suffer on Behalf of Women’s Rights in Iran
Since Dec. 13, 2024, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband Reza Khandan—a fellow activist—was arrested for his efforts on behalf of women’s rights in Iran. Now, Khandan sits in the notorious Evin Prison, where his visits are limited and conditions deplorable. Sotoudeh wrote the letter below to him on April 22, 2025, from Tehran:
“I spent over seven years in prison. Not as a criminal, but as an attorney who loves the law and believes in human rights. During that time, my husband Reza took care of our children, who were still very young. He brought them to school and to play dates and to doctors’ appointments, he cooked and he worked hard to pay our bills. Now, the children are grown up, I am free on medical leave and Reza is the one in prison. It is a strange and painful situation.
“Reza has always been a firm believer in full rights for women, and for people of all faiths and backgrounds. When he proposed to me, I told him that I refuse to wear the hijab. He said that’s a personal matter. It’s my business. His answer meant so much to me. Throughout our life together, he has always been faithful to those words.”
Take action: Sign this petition calling for the immediate release from prison of Reza Khandan, organized by Reza’s wife and fellow activist Sotoudeh, among others.
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Take Action: Nasrin Sotoudeh Shares Petition to Free Husband, Iranian Women’s Rights Activist Reza Khandan, From Prison
Nasrin Sotoudeh’s courageous husband Reza Khandan was arrested on Dec. 13, 2024, for his efforts on behalf of women’s rights in Iran. Sotoudeh herself has served over seven years in prison, with extra punishments because she refused to wear the hijab mandated by Iranian law.
Take action: Sign this petition calling for the immediate release from prison of Reza Khandan, organized by Reza’s wife and fellow activist Sotoudeh, among others.
