Internationally recognized lawyer taken into custody in Iran

Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been detained by authorities without explanation, according to a statement from her daughter.

Mehraveh Khandan said in an Instagram post, cited by US media, that her mother was taken into custody on Wednesday night in Iran. She added that during the operation, authorities also confiscated electronic devices from their home.

No official reason for the detention has been provided.

Sotoudeh is an internationally recognised legal advocate and was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Union in 2012. Among her previous clients is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi.

By Tamilla Hasanova