“Victory is not easy, but it is inevitable”, the imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate and women’s rights activist Narges Mohammadi has asserted in a message from Tehran’s infamous Evin prison.
Her message, recounted in French by Mohammadi’s daughter Kiana Rahmani, was unveiled on the official Nobel website on Wednesday, bestowing sincere gratitude upon the Norwegian Nobel Committee for their recognition.
Narges Mohammadi, 51, has been recently honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless fight for gender equality and human rights, both in Iran and worldwide. She leads the Defender of Human Rights Center alongside Shirin Ebadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.
In the message, smuggled from her cell, Mohammadi denounced the oppressive hijab law in the country, condemned the Iranian government “that has institutionalised deprivation and poverty in society for 45 years”, and said that it was “built on lies, deception, cunning and intimidation”.
She proclaimed, “The compulsory hijab is an instrument of control and subjugation, vital to the perpetuation of this authoritarian religious regime.”
“We, the people of Iran, demand democracy, freedom, human rights, and equality, and the Islamic Republic is the main obstacle in the way of realising these national demands,” Mohammadi said in her message.
“We… are struggling to transition away from this religious authoritarian regime through solidarity and drawing on the power of a non-violent and unstoppable process in order to revive the honor and pride of Iran and human dignity and prestige for its people,” she continued.
In a separate message posted on social media, Mohammadi also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli attacks have so far killed more than 9,000 Palestinians since the militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October that left more than 1,400 dead.
“The war must end. Like religious tyranny in Iran, war is destructive to humanity,” she said. “Attacks on innocent people, hostage-taking, killing of women, children and non-combatants, targeting of hospitals, rocket attacks on residential areas have all left the world in astonishment, horror and despair.”
Stressing the importance of respecting human rights and fostering conditions for peaceful coexistence, Mohammadi said that the lives of innocent civilians should not be sacrificed for those who seek war.
Mohammadi is currently incarcerated serving a 10-year prison term and was sentenced to 154 lashes for being accused by the Islamic Republic of “propaganda against the state.” Mohammadi has been a vocal critic of the republic, and has revealed stories of abuse and sexual assault against female prisoners.
Mohammadi stands as a beacon of resistance within the nation-wide ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, which has seen Iranian women shed their head coverings, shear their locks, and take to the streets in protest. The catalyst for this wave of defiance was the tragic death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini, who lost her life while in custody after violating Iran’s strict dress code.
Kiana Rahmani, who conveyed her mother’s sentiments in the 10-minute message, alongside her twin brother Ali, will step forth as representatives of their incarcerated mother at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, scheduled for 10 December, as confirmed by the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
