Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh wins 2026 Vaclav Havel human rights prize

63-year-old Sotoudeh has long campaigned against capital punishment and Iran's compulsory hijab laws, while representing some of the country's most prominent human rights cases.

The Council of Europe, which is based in Strasbourg, praised her for continuing her work despite repeated arrests, lengthy prison sentences and serious personal risks.

She is the first Iranian woman to receive the prize, which was created in 2013 in memory of former Czech dissident and president Vaclav Havel and carries a €60,000 award.

Sotoudeh was chosen from a shortlist that also included Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, a prominent campaigner against compulsory veiling, and Hungarian lawyer Marta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, which works to protect the rights of asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups.

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'The sun of freedom will shine'

Sotoudeh did not travel to Strasbourg for the award ceremony. Instead, her daughter Mehraveh Khandan Heris received the prize on her behalf.

In a video message recorded in Tehran, Sotoudeh said the award was a reminder of past struggles and of the international support received by Iranian rights campaigners.

"At times like this, we remember our past struggles, our shared ideals and the people who support us around the world," she said.

"We rekindle the hopes we share and tell ourselves: one day, they will come true. One day, the sun of freedom will shine on our country too."

Sotoudeh has been detained several times over the course of her career because of her legal and human rights work.

She was arrested again by the Iranian authorities in April and released on bail more than a month later. No public information has emerged about the accusations she faced.

The Council of Europe said her detention had renewed concerns about her safety and highlighted what it described as a broader crackdown on independent lawyers and human rights defenders in Iran.

Her husband, Reza Khandan, has been imprisoned since December 2024.

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Long record of human rights work

Sotoudeh is one of Iran's best-known lawyers and has spent years defending political prisoners, women protesting against compulsory veiling and children facing the death penalty.

In 2012, she was jointly awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, one of the European Union's highest human rights honours.

Her latest recognition comes amid heightened concern about arrests and repression inside Iran.

Human rights organisations say thousands of people have been detained since the start of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran on 28 February.

The Iranian authorities have also acknowledged that more than 3,000 people were killed during anti-government protests in January, while blaming much of the violence on what Tehran described as "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

The Vaclav Havel Prize is awarded each year by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to individuals or organisations recognised for outstanding work in defence of human rights.

(with newswires)