Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian human rights lawyer and one of the most recognized human rights activists in Iran, received the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize from the Council of Europe on September 28, 2026. This award was given in recognition of her commitment to human rights and the activities that have involved significant personal risks.
Achievements of Nasrin Sotoudeh
Nasrin Sotoudeh was one of the three final nominees for this award, with the other nominees being Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and women's rights activist, and Marta Pardavi, a Hungarian human rights lawyer. The Council of Europe honored Sotoudeh for her campaigns against mandatory hijab laws and the death penalty, as well as for her stand against repeated arrests and long-term sentences.
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History of Activities and Challenges
Sotoudeh is known as a defender of women's rights, political prisoners' rights, and the abolition of the death penalty. She has represented many activists, journalists, religious minorities, and individuals sentenced to death. In a video statement from Tehran, she said, "In moments like this, we think of our past struggles and remember those who stood with us around the world."
She won the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament in 2012, but at that time could not receive the award in person due to imprisonment. In 2019, she was sentenced to 33 years in prison and 148 lashes. One of the reasons for this sentence was her activities as a lawyer for women who protested against hijab laws in Iran.
Even while imprisoned, Sotoudeh continued her human rights activities and went on a hunger strike in Evin Prison in 2020. She also won the alternative Nobel Prize (the Right Livelihood Award) in 2020 and received news of this award while incarcerated.
During the nationwide protests of "Women, Life, Freedom" in Iran in 2022, Sotoudeh emerged again as a leading voice for Iranian women's rights. Her commitment to human rights symbolizes the ongoing resistance against government restrictions and repression. She has been repeatedly arrested and sentenced to long-term imprisonment, and in April 2026, she was also detained. She was released on bail in May of the same year.
The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize is recognized as a symbol of "outstanding civil society actions in defense of human rights" in Europe and around the world, with a value of €60,000. This prize is awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Charter 77 Foundation.
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