Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh wins Council of Europe rights award

The Council of Europe's Václav Havel Award has been bestowed upon Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, recognizing her unwavering dedication to defending human dignity and fundamental freedoms in the face of political pressure. Sotoudeh, 63, has been a prominent advocate for activists, media workers, minorities, and children facing execution, as well as campaigning against mandatory headscarf laws and the death penalty.

Despite being unable to attend the award ceremony in Strasbourg due to her recent arrest, Sotoudeh's daughter accepted the prize on her behalf. The award, worth €60,000 ($68,000), is named after the late civic rights activist and former President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. This year's nominees included US-Iranian journalist and women's rights activist Masih Alinejad and Hungarian human rights lawyer Márta Pardavi, all of whom embody the values of principled courage and moral integrity.

Brief written by urgent.news from Qatar Tribune's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.