When Hassan Rouhani ran for president of Iran in 2013, he campaigned on the promise of promoting human rights and individual freedoms in a country that retained a strong authoritarian bent. Five years after his election, it is becoming clear that Rouhani has failed to deliver on these promises. Last week's arrest of prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh is a telling reminder that the regime's repressive tactics remain largely unchanged.
Sotoudeh is no stranger to arbitrary arrest. Her staunch defense of political dissidents--including Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi--has long made her a target for Iranian security forces. She was arrested in 2010 on an absurd charge of threatening to overthrow the government. She served three years in Evin Prison, some of that time in solitary confinement, but was pardoned in 2013 when Rouhani released a number of political prisoners as a goodwill gesture. Now, she has been taken to Evin Prison again, reportedly to serve a five-year sentence on national security charges.
Authorities continue to crack down on dissidents and rights defenders after demonstrations on unemployment and women's repression swept through the country this year. Despite a number of high-profile arrests, including that of Rouhani's brother in 2017, the Rouhani government appears unable or unwilling to speak out against the Revolutionary Guard Corps or the country's hard-line judiciary. This has created a chilling atmosphere for political dissenters.
The State Department has issued a statement calling for Sotoudeh's freedom, as have politicians from the European Union, which presented her with the prestigious Sakharov Prize in 2012. Other nations should continue to pressure Iran for her immediate and unconditional release.
Editorial on 06/23/2018