UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist, was arrested in Tehran on Sunday, just days after receiving the 2023 Brown Democracy Medal from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy.
According to The Guardian, Sotoudeh was arrested at the funeral for Amrita Garawand, a 16-year-old Iranian who died from injuries sustained for not wearing a headscarf on public transportation.
The Guardian also reports that Sotoudeh was arrested for not wearing a headscarf at Garawand’s funeral. Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan, said she was “violently beaten” during the arrest.
McCourtney Institute for Democracy Director Michael Berkman and Managing Director Chris Beem condemned Sotoudeh’s arrest.
“Just last week, The McCourtney Institute for Democracy celebrated Nasrin’s indefatigable commitment to human rights and the rule of law, as well as her astonishing courage in the face of government brutality,” Berkman said.
Beem added, “We call on people around the world to join us in renouncing Iran's oppression of its citizens, and to stand in solidarity with Nasrin and all those in Iran who fight for freedom and human dignity.”
Sotoudeh is a longtime opponent of Iran’s law requiring women to wear head coverings in public. She’s been arrested several times, and, before Sunday, was on medical furlough from a 2019 prison sentence of 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.
The Brown Democracy Medal, established in 2014 by College of the Liberal Arts alumni Larry and Lynne Brown, recognizes individuals and organizations working to strengthen democracy around the world.
The medal was accepted on Sotoudeh’s behalf on Thursday by filmmakers Jeff Kaufman and Marcia S. Ross, who made the 2020 documentary “Nasrin” and remain in close contact with Sotoudeh and Khandan.