International Coalition Demands Immediate Release Of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi In Iran
Four leading human rights and press freedom organisations have come together to form a new dynamic international campaign united in calling for the immediate release of Iranian journalist, writer, and human rights defender Narges Mohammadi. The Free Narges Coalition is launching following an 8 June court hearing in a new case against Mohammadi that could further lengthen her prison sentence.
With a steering committee comprised of PEN America, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Front Line Defenders, in collaboration with the Narges Foundation, the Free Narges Coalition urgently calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who has been detained in Iran’s Evin prison since November 2021.
Mohammadi, celebrated globally for her relentless pursuit of human rights, journalism, freedom of expression, and women’s rights, recently marked her 52nd birthday—her 10th birthday spent behind bars.
Throughout her lifetime of activism, Mohammadi has been sentenced to a total of 35 years and three months in prison, in addition to facing a harrowing sentence of 154 lashes—a punishment that blatantly violates international human rights laws. She has also endured 135 days in solitary confinement, recognised internationally as a form of torture. Mohammadi’s latest period of detention started in November 2021, and she is currently serving multiple prison sentences on charges related to “propaganda against the state” and “collusion against state security.”
Adding to the urgency is Mohammadi’s critical health situation. Despite undergoing heart surgery just a year ago, she has been repeatedly denied necessary medical care while in detention, raising grave concerns about her well-being. As a journalist and human rights defender, Mohammadi’s voice has been crucial in shedding light on injustice, making her health and freedom a paramount concern for the international community.
Mohammadi’s plight sheds light on the gross and systematic human rights violations in Iran, where many are punished for exercising their right to freedom of expression and other fundamental freedoms. The Free Narges Coalition demands Mohammadi’s immediate and unconditional release as an emblematic figure representing the many other persecuted and silenced voices in Iran, along with that of all political prisoners in Iran, advocating for their right to speak and act freely without fear of persecution.
The Free Narges Coalition urges the Iranian government to respect its international obligations, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, and for those imprisoned for journalism and human rights work to receive necessary medical care. We also call upon global leaders and human rights organisations to join us in this urgent plea for justice.
The coalition calls on members of the public to support this campaign by using the hashtag #FreeNarges, in a crucial show of solidarity with Narges Mohammadi and others facing oppression in Iran. Their release and medical attention are critical, not just for their own health, but as a symbol of global commitment to human rights and dignity.
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.
