Mohammadi’s message was smuggled out of prison. She has been imprisoned since November 2021 for “propaganda against the State”.
In a message smuggled from his cell, the Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner, Narges Mohammadi, harshly criticizes those in power in Iran: he accuses the mullahs of Tehran of governing the country and society for 45 years “with lies, deception, cunning and intimidation.” in poverty and endanger “peace and stability” throughout the world. Mohammadi has been imprisoned since November 2021 for “propaganda against the State”.
It remains unclear how the message was smuggled out of the notorious Evin prison in the Iranian capital, Tehran. The text was read in French by Mohammadi’s 17-year-old daughter, Kiana Rahmani, and published on the official Nobel website on Tuesday night.
Renewed criticism of mandatory headscarf
The 51-year-old women’s rights activist once again criticized the requirement to wear the veil in her country, which is being applied with increasing brutality by the authorities. Requiring women to wear the hijab is a means of “control and oppression of society” on which the survival of “an authoritarian and religious government depends,” she wrote.
“We, the Iranian people, fight for democracy, freedom, human rights and equality,” continued Mohammadi. But the Islamic Republic prevents these demands from being fulfilled. The aim of the women’s protests is, therefore, to replace “this authoritarian-religious government with the help of solidarity and a non-violent and unstoppable process” and to revive “Iran’s honor and human dignity”. Mohammadi’s message concluded: “Victory is not easy, but it is certain.”
The 51-year-old woman plays a central role in the fight for women’s rights and freedom of expression in her country. She campaigns against the mandatory veil and the death penalty in Iran. For this, she has been repeatedly arrested and whipped since 1998.
For his efforts, Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in early October. Her daughter Kiana, who fled to France with her family, and her twin brother Ali will receive the prize in her name in Oslo, on December 10, as announced this Wednesday by the Nobel Institute. (APA)