Jailed Iranian human rights lawyer granted five-day prison release

The imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been granted a five-day leave from prison on health grounds, according to her husband.

During the five-day furlough, Sotoudeh will undergo various medical examinations, according to a post her husband Reza Khandan wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday. He also posted a picture of Sotoudeh and her two children after her temporary release from Qarchak Prison in the south of the capital Tehran.

In recent months Sotoudeh's health has been a cause for concern, especially after her nearly 50-day hunger strike last year. Among other conditions, the 58-year-old suffers from heart disease.

By going on hunger strike, the lawyer and women's rights activist was protesting the conditions of political prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic. She later herself tested positive for the virus herself.

Sotoudeh was tried and convicted of "anti-state propaganda" by a revolutionary court in 2018 and was sentenced to 33 years and six months in prison and 148 lashes. She must serve at least 12 years of that sentence. Sotoudeh has denied all charges.