Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi denounces “large-scale war against women” in Iran from prison

MADRID, (EUROPA PRESS) – The prominent Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 and imprisoned in Iran, denounced a “large-scale war against women” and called on the population to “rise up” to confront the situation and get the authorities to reverse their restrictive measures.

“For years we have seen numerous women suffer attacks, abuse and assault at the hands of government agents. However, the Islamic Republic has today taken to the streets not from a position of strength, but from one of desperation, to launch a total war against all women,” she said in an audio message released by her family.

“Either we end this relentless war by losing our lives or the people of Iran and around the world rise up to help us stop this war (…) and force the Islamic Republic to back down,” said Mohammadi, who has asked “artists, intellectuals, workers, teachers and students, in the country and abroad, to protest against this war against women.”

Thus, he called on the population “of the world” to “stop this cruel war that represents the ugly and horrible face of gender apartheid in Iran” and praised the situation of Iranian women, subjected to “attacks and rapes” by the “relentless Islamic Republic” to try to “force their withdrawal.”

“Dear ones, do not underestimate the power of sharing your experiences. This will expose and bring down the misogynistic government. Long live the resistance. Long live freedom. Long live the indomitable and brave women of Iran,” said Mohammadi, according to the cited message, shared by his family through his Instagram account.

Mohammadi, 51, has spent most of the last 20 years of her life in prison and has been convicted up to five times for a total of 31 years in prison. Throughout her lifetime of activism, she has founded associations for women’s rights and written books and articles to denounce especially the abuses she is subjected to, particularly in the country’s prisons.

The last sentence against the activist added ten years and eight months in prison, as well as 154 lashes, for the commission of “crimes related to national security and propaganda against the State” in what international humanitarian organizations denounce as a sentence related to their activism.