Cartoon by Elham Ataeiazar

Nasrin Sotoudeh Speaks Out: Husband Reza Khandan Sits in Evin Prison for Supporting Women’s Freedom in Iran

by JEFF KAUFMAN

Ms. Magazine: Imagine you are going about your day—at work, at home, with friends, with family—always burdened by the knowledge that at any time the police could knock on your door and take you away. That is life for people in authoritarian regimes around the world … and last week that fear came true for my friend Reza Khandan.

Reza is an activist, graphic designer, father of two and the husband of renowned human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh. He is now in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, facing a three-and-a-half-year sentence (on top of time already served) for supporting women’s rights in Iran.

My wife Marcia Ross and I first got to know Reza eight years ago while producing a documentary about Nasrin’s life and work. In a Zoom call with Nasrin right after Reza’s arrest, Marcia said, “Reza always projects so much warmth and positivity, but it’s clear that under his sweetness is a defiant strength. He’ll never give up what he thinks is right.”

In 2018, Nasrin was arrested and imprisoned for her legal work representing women who protested Iran’s compulsory hijab laws by publicly removing their headscarves. She was held for over three years until her declining health forced the authorities to grant her a medical furlough.

Soon after Nasrin’s arrest, Reza and fellow activist Dr. Farhad Meysami bought a small, hand-cranked button-making machine, and together made thousands of buttons that said in Farsi, “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab.” Before they could finish, their homes and offices were raided, the buttons were confiscated, and they were sent to the men’s ward of the same prison that held Nasrin.

Reza was released on bail after 111 days. Meysami was released in February 2023 after a four-month hunger strike.

On Friday, Dec. 13, of this year, around 1:00 p.m., came the feared knock on the door.

On our Zoom call, Nasrin explained what happened:

“Reza took the day off to do some household repairs. He was in the basement working on the pipes when men came to the house and said they had some outstanding violations related to our car and that Reza should accompany them. Reza refused. After I joined them, a man in plain clothes showed his ID and admitted that he was actually a security officer. He said he was there to arrest Reza so he can serve out the remaining years on his sentence.

“They started to take Reza away, but I said, ‘Can you kindly wait for a minute so our son Nima can come and say goodbye to his father?’ Nima and Reza are very close, he had already suffered a lot as a little boy when I was in prison, and I thought this would help ease the shock. I went to get Nima, and he came down right away, but despite their promise, the men didn’t wait. We ran out to the street, but Reza was gone.

“The look on Nima’s face at that moment showed such terrible pain. It was awful. And I couldn’t give Reza a hug or a kiss.” >>>