Narges Mansouri, Opposition Activist, Arrested Again

An informed source told Voice of America on Sunday, December 3, that Narges Mansouri, a labor activist opposed to the Islamic Republic and one of the 14 women signatories of the "14 Women Statement" calling for the resignation of the Supreme Leader, was arrested again while attempting to leave the country for medical treatment. According to a source close to Narges Mansouri, this civil activist was granted leave earlier this year in May due to illness for a "hysterectomy" surgery. The IRNA news agency reported on Thursday, May 18, 2022, that Ms. Mansouri, who had been on leave from prison for about "two and a half years," was arrested by agents during an "illegal exit" from the country. In last year's report by the Islamic Republic News Agency, accusations such as having a "mission" to "incite public opinion through the preparation of fake statements and conducting distorted and provocative interviews aimed at creating chaos and insecurity in the country" were attributed to Ms. Mansouri. Narges Mansouri was one of the signatories of a letter in which 14 civil activist women called for moving beyond the Islamic Republic and drafting a new constitution, considering the inequalities and problems faced by women in Iran. Before her arrest, this political and civil activist criticized Western countries' negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, stating in an interview with the Chess program of Voice of America: "It is regrettable that democratic countries, which base their constitutions on human rights, have turned a blind eye to human rights issues in Iran and sit at the negotiating table with a government that suppresses its people with military force and thugs."