Iranian Woman's Dry Hunger Strike- Nine Days Today

After ending her one-month hunger strike in protest against the conditions of her imprisonment and the mishandling of her case on October 26, Nasrin Sotoudeh, human rights attorney, went on a dry (no water and no food) hunger strike this time after meeting with the Tehran General Attorney in Tehran's Evin Prison on October 31.

She is scheduled to go on trial on November 15 and faces charges of acting against state security, assembling, and collusion with intent to disrupt national security, and working with the Center for Human Rights Defenders, which was founded by Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi.

Nasrin Sotoudeh who has been in Evin Prison since September 4, went on a hunger strike for 27 days to protest the conditions of her illegal arrest. After ending her hunger strike for a few days, she started a dry hunger strike since her case was mishandled and she continued to be deprived of her legal rights such as the right to telephone calls and visits from her family members and her two young children.

Many human rights agencies including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders have asked for her immediate release.

Women and human rights activists have also asked for her release, including Vaclav Havel (former president of the Czech Republic), Shirin Ebadi (human rights lawyer), and Zahra Rahnavard (wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi).
Feminist Majority Foundation is conducting an email campaign for her release.

Media Resources: Persian2English 11/4/10; Feminist Majority Foundation 11/10/10

© Feminist Majority Foundation, publisher of Ms. magazine

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