NARGES MOHAMMADI

 NARGES MOHAMMADI

Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist. She is former vice-president and spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC). She was elected as President of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Peace in Iran, a broad coalition against war and for the promotion of human rights. She has campaigned for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, and was awarded the Per Anger Prize by the Swedish government for her human rights work in 2011.

Mohammadi was born 21 April 1972 in Zanjan, Iran. She attended Imam Khomeini International University, receiving a degree in physics, and became a professional engineer. During her university career, she wrote articles supporting women's rights in the student newspaper and was arrested at two meetings of the political student group Tashakkol Daaneshjuyi Roshangaraan ("Enlightened Student Group").

Mohammadi was first arrested in 1998 for her criticisms of the Iranian government and spent a year in prison. From 1998 till 2015 she was arrested and prosecuted several times.

Narges Mohammadi was also arbitrarily arrested in May 2015 and sentenced in 2016 to 16 years in prison on charges relating exclusively to her freedom of expression and assembly. Mohammadi was subjected to direct physical violence by the director of Evin Prison in Tehran and several guards when she peaceful protested in December 2019 against her transfer to Zanjan Prison, 300km northwest of Tehran.

Following global action, including Amnesty International, Narges Mohammadi was released from prison in October 2020, but has since been subjected to harassment, torture and other ill-treatment by Iranian authorities. Still, she refused to allow the government's intimidation tactics to stop her peaceful activism.

She personally appeared in solidarity with bereaved family members of protesters killed by security agents during protests in November 2019, and spoke out against the unjust execution of wrestling champion Navid Afkari — whose two brothers are currently serving lengthy sentences after a trial without any pretense.

She also led a major lawsuit by civil rights activists against the illegal and routine use of prolonged solitary confinement by Iranian authorities - a form of white torture she is currently experiencing and has been subjected to as a political prisoner.

Known for both her articles and her actions in defense of human rights in Iran, Mohammadi is back in prison after 13 months of freedom. During her 13 months at large, Mohammadi continued to be subjected to judicial harassment, which included arrest at least eight times, primarily for supporting the families of imprisoned journalists and other prisoners of conscience.

In May 2021, Branch 1188 of the Two Criminal Court in Tehran sentenced Narges Mohammadi to two and a half years in prison, 80 lashes and two separate fines for charges involving "spreading propaganda against the system." Four months later, in September, Narges Mohammadi received a call to start serving this sentence, but did not respond because she considered the conviction unjust.

Mohammadi was physically assaulted and arrested without a warrant on November 16, 2021 in the city of Karaj in a ceremony in honor of Ebrahim Ketabdar, a father of two who was killed during indiscriminate fire by security forces on civilian protesters two years ago that day. Following her arrest, the human rights defender was told she now has a 30-year sentence. months in prison and 80 lashes imposed on her on 22 May 2021 by Branch 1177 of the Tehran Criminal Court II Quds Judicial Complex.

Despite being repeatedly threatened by Iran's security apparatus, harassed, sent to prison multiple times, and prevented from seeing her children, the authorities have failed to silence Narges Mohammadi.

One of Iran's leading human rights defenders, Mohammadi has long campaigned against the death penalty and defended victims of state violence.

 

https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2021/11/renowned-activist-narges-mohammadi-arrested-on-anniversary-of-historic-protests/

www.frontlinedefenders.org