The Women Laureates Hub stands in deep solidarity with 2020 Right Livelihood Laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, her family, and all women human rights defenders in Iran following her recent rearrest in Tehran on April 1, 2026.
At a time of intensified repression, when women across Iran continue to face violence, intimidation, and punishment for claiming their fundamental rights, the targeting of voices like hers is both a personal injustice and a collective attack. For decades, she has courageously defended women challenging discriminatory laws and practices, embodying the resilience and determination of a broader movement that refuses to be silenced.
Her rearrest reflects the ongoing and gendered nature of repression in Iran, where women who stand up for equality and bodily autonomy are met with disproportionate retaliation. Yet, despite these risks, women across the country continue to lead, resist, and demand change. This moment is made even more urgent by the devastating impact of the ongoing war, which has brought widespread suffering to civilians across Iran, deepening insecurity and hardship, particularly for women already facing systemic oppression.
We are deeply concerned for Nasrin’s safety and well-being, and we join the many voices around the world calling for her immediate and unconditional release.The Women Laureates Hub reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with Nasrin Sotoudeh and with all those in Iran who continue to defend women’s rights with courage and conviction.
Their struggle is not isolated, it is shared, and it is supported.
Signed by
Marthe Wandou, 2021 Laureate
Anabela Lemos / JA!, 2024 Laureate
Sima Samar, 2012 Laureate
Katarina Kruhonja, 1998 Laureate
Sun Ratha, 2023 Laureate
Lottie Cunningham Wren, 2020 Laureate
Helen Mack, 1992 Laureate
Diana Nabiruma, 2022 Laureate
Aminatou Haidar, 2019 Laureate
