Free Narges Coalition Strongly Condemns Additional Sentence for Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi
In response to the news that an Iranian revolutionary court has sentenced jailed 2023 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi to an additional one-year prison sentence on charges of “propaganda activities against the state,” the Free Narges Coalition - of which Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is a founding steering committee member - condemned the sentence and called on Iranian authorities to immediately cease prosecuting Mohammadi for her peaceful expression and advocacy.
The Steering Committee of the Coalition declared: “We strongly condemn the unjust sentencing of Narges Mohammadi by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which essentially criminalizes her peaceful expression and activism, as well as her contact with media and foreign governments. This is a blatant violation of human rights and a distortion of justice. We support the recent call by 36 women political prisoners, including a number of human rights defenders, within Evin Prison for such trials to be held in public and for media and other observers to be allowed access. We also call for all charges against Narges to be dropped, and for her to be released. Finally, we urge the international community and concerned governments to exert pressure on the Iranian regime to respect human rights and uphold justice, and for all organizations, and individuals committed to human rights to join us in demanding justice for Narges Mohammadi and the many other persecuted and silenced voices in Iran.”
On June 18, Mohammadi’s lawyer announced that Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court had issued a verdict, sentencing Mohammadi to an additional prison sentence of one year on charges of “propaganda activities against the state.” The evidence cited for this sentence include her statements and voice messages sent from prison, her letter concerning the boycott of parliamentary elections in Iran, and her communications with the parliaments of Sweden and Norway. She was summoned in this case on May 17 by the Prosecutor's Office, and it quickly proceeded to the trial stage, with a June 8 hearing being held without her presence.
Narges Mohammadi is a woman human rights defender, journalist, author, and deputy director and spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC) in Iran. Mohammadi’s current period of detention started in November 2021, following her sentencing in May 2021 on charges of committing “propaganda activity against the state.” Her tireless struggle for human rights has been internationally recognized, and she is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, the 2023 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, the 2023 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, and the 2022 Reporters Without Borders Prize for Courage.
The Free Narges Coalition Steering Committee is led by the Narges Foundation, PEN America, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Front Line Defenders. Together, the coalition urges the global community to hold the Islamic Republic government accountable for its abuses. The Free Narges Coalition will be featured at the Nobel Peace Conference 2024, to be held in Oslo on 5 September. Register to attend in person or online.
For more information, to get involved, or to support the campaign, please visit the campaign homepage, or contact the steering committee members via [email protected] at the Narges Foundation; Karin Deutsch Karlekar at PEN America at [email protected]; Rebecca Vincent at Reporters Without Borders (RSF) at [email protected]; or [email protected] at Front Line Defenders. Join us in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Narges Mohammadi. #FreeNarges!
