FREE REZA KHANDAN
FREE REZA KHANDAN
The Issue
FREE REZA KHANDAN
To the Government of Iran:
We, the undersigned, call for the immediate release from prison of Reza Khandan, who was arrested by Iranian security forces on 13 December 2024. An activist, artist, father, and the husband of the Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, Reza is being held in Tehran’s overcrowded and unsanitary Evin Prison. He faces three-and-a-half more years of an existing sentence (on top of time already served) for supporting women’s rights in Iran.
In 2018, a few months after Nasrin was imprisoned for her legal work representing women who protested Iran’s compulsory hijab laws, Reza and fellow activist Farhad Meysami were arrested for making thousands of buttons that said in Farsi, “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab.” Reza was charged with “spreading propaganda against the system” and “colluding to commit crimes against national security,” for speaking out about Nasrin’s arrest, and for challenging the country’s compulsory hijab law. He was released on bail after 111 days while Nasrin remained in prison until she received a medical furlough in July 2021. Farhad was released in February 2023.
In a 2023 interview for CNN International, Reza said, “When you respect and accept someone’s individuality and freedom, it goes beyond the hijab or clothing choices. I’m not against women who want to be veiled, I just believe it should be their choice. I am against the government’s imposition of the hijab for all women, regardless of their faith or practices. And I’m against the forced imposition of any religion or belief.”
After the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that followed the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s morality police, over 14,000 demonstrators were arrested, and at least 400 killed—including dozens of children. Hundreds of women and men remain in prison for peacefully criticizing human rights abuses in Iran.
Iran has a remarkable history, a rich culture, and a diverse, youthful population. It can only benefit from the contributions of good, caring, and informed citizens like Reza Khandan. Reza should be honored, not punished.
We call on all countries to follow the principles of free speech and human rights.
We call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to promptly free Reza Khandan and all non-violent political prisoners.
2,572
The Issue
FREE REZA KHANDAN
To the Government of Iran:
We, the undersigned, call for the immediate release from prison of Reza Khandan, who was arrested by Iranian security forces on 13 December 2024. An activist, artist, father, and the husband of the Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, Reza is being held in Tehran’s overcrowded and unsanitary Evin Prison. He faces three-and-a-half more years of an existing sentence (on top of time already served) for supporting women’s rights in Iran.
In 2018, a few months after Nasrin was imprisoned for her legal work representing women who protested Iran’s compulsory hijab laws, Reza and fellow activist Farhad Meysami were arrested for making thousands of buttons that said in Farsi, “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab.” Reza was charged with “spreading propaganda against the system” and “colluding to commit crimes against national security,” for speaking out about Nasrin’s arrest, and for challenging the country’s compulsory hijab law. He was released on bail after 111 days while Nasrin remained in prison until she received a medical furlough in July 2021. Farhad was released in February 2023.
In a 2023 interview for CNN International, Reza said, “When you respect and accept someone’s individuality and freedom, it goes beyond the hijab or clothing choices. I’m not against women who want to be veiled, I just believe it should be their choice. I am against the government’s imposition of the hijab for all women, regardless of their faith or practices. And I’m against the forced imposition of any religion or belief.”
After the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that followed the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s morality police, over 14,000 demonstrators were arrested, and at least 400 killed—including dozens of children. Hundreds of women and men remain in prison for peacefully criticizing human rights abuses in Iran.
Iran has a remarkable history, a rich culture, and a diverse, youthful population. It can only benefit from the contributions of good, caring, and informed citizens like Reza Khandan. Reza should be honored, not punished.
We call on all countries to follow the principles of free speech and human rights.
We call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to promptly free Reza Khandan and all non-violent political prisoners.
2,572
Supporter Voices
Petition created on January 10, 2025