Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh wins 2026 Vaclav Havel human rights prize

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a renowned human rights lawyer from Iran, has been honored with the 2026 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe. This prestigious award recognizes her unwavering dedication to human rights and her courageous work, often undertaken despite significant personal risks. Sotoudeh, who has been repeatedly arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms, has been a vocal advocate against compulsory hijab laws and the death penalty.

Despite facing numerous challenges, she has remained committed to women's rights, the rights of political prisoners, and the abolition of the death penalty. Her efforts have involved representing activists, journalists, members of religious minorities, and individuals facing the death penalty. In her video statement from Tehran, Sotoudeh expressed her admiration for those who share her ideals and stand with her.

As early as 2012, she had been awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament, and in 2019, she was sentenced to 33 years in prison and 148 lashes for her work as a lawyer for women protesting Iran's headscarf mandate. Even in prison, she continued her advocacy, going on a hunger strike in 2020 to protest detention conditions and learn of her award while incarcerated.

The Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize, worth €60,000, is awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in recognition of outstanding civil society action in defense of human rights globally.