A suturing instrument using a curved needle is presented. The suturing instrument includes an elongated body, which has a lumen at its distal end. The suturing device also includes a curved needle which has a hook at its distal end to capture a suture from a suture staging area coupled with the suture. The rotational movement of the curved needle can be operated by a linear movement of a controlling element via a compound pivots that are configured to move the needles out from the lumen, couple the needle to the suture, and pull the suture away back toward the lumen.