PEN America Calls for Immediate Release of Iranian Activist Reza Khandan

PEN America has denounced the arrest of Iranian activist Reza Khandan, husband of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, and demanded his release. Khandan, accused in 2019 of anti-regime activities, now faces a six-year sentence. His wife, Sotoudeh, is notable for defending activists and women challenging Iran's hijab laws.

PEN America has firmly condemned the recent arrest of Iranian activist Reza Khandan, the spouse of prominent human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh.

Karin Deutsch Karlekar, who oversees the Writers at Risk program at the advocacy group, expressed outrage at Khandan's detention and has called for his immediate release. The activist was previously sentenced in 2019 for allegedly spreading "propaganda against the system" and conspiring against national security, as reported by the reformist newspaper Shagh Daily citing lawyer Mahmoud Behzadi Rad.

Khandan faced a six-year prison sentence for his involvement in protests against Iran's enforced hijab laws. Meanwhile, Sotoudeh, known for her legal defense of civil rights activists and women facing persecution for unveiling in public, was handed a severe 38-year sentence along with 148 lashes in March 2019. She currently remains out on bail since 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)