Imprisoned Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi has called on her fellow Iranians to protest against the oppressive policies of the clerical regime targeting women, including a new crackdown enforcing headscarf wearing. Mohammadi, currently detained in Tehran’s Evin prison, urged Iranian women to share their stories of mistreatment, arrest, and sexual assault by authorities.
In response to Iran’s nationwide campaign to enforce the headscarf requirement, many women have been arrested by the morality police and taken to police stations. The Farsi hashtag “war against women” has gained traction on social media as a symbol of resistance to these repressive measures.
From her prison cell, Mohammadi reached out to the people of Iran, calling on artists, intellectuals, workers, teachers, and students both inside and outside the country to unite in protest against the regime’s assault on women’s rights. She stated the importance of sharing personal experiences to expose the government’s misogyny and bring about change.
Mohammadi highlighted the case of Dina Ghalibaf, a journalist and student who was arrested after accusing security forces of abuse and sexual assault on social media. Mohammadi condemned the authorities for waging a systematic war against women on the streets of Iran, recounting the countless instances of violence and mistreatment faced by women at the hands of government agents.
As a prominent human rights activist, Mohammadi, aged 52 and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has dedicated herself to advocating for human rights in Iran, resulting in repeated incarcerations over the past two decades. Despite being detained since November 2021, she continues to speak out against injustice. Mohammadi, separated from her husband and twin children in Paris for several years, remains steadfast in her fight for a more just and equitable society.
