Narges Mohammadi: In Hope of Ending the Authoritarian Religious Regime and Establishing Democracy, Freedom, and Equality

Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, wrote in a message from Evin Prison: "I congratulate and celebrate the arrival of Nowruz as a symbol and hope for ending the authoritarian religious regime and establishing democracy, freedom, and equality for all people of Iran and the world." According to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation website, she addressed the people of Iran, stating: "Another winter has passed, and a new season of growth has arrived. This magnificent and glorious change signifies the existence and continuity of life," and emphasized: "We, the people of Iran, have felt the cold of oppression, discrimination, and the crimes of the 45-year-old authoritarian religious regime in our souls and spirits." The Nobel Peace Prize winner added: "With an unwavering demand based on our learnings and values, we will create and harvest a new and rooted season of growth and will dry up the roots of oppression, discrimination, corruption, and crime." Ms. Mohammadi has been arrested and imprisoned several times over the past three decades. In her latest legal case, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "propaganda against the regime" and is currently in Evin Prison in Tehran. In another part of her Nowruz message, this imprisoned human rights activist wrote: "Nature bears witness to the arrival of spring, and the history of this land bears witness to the emergence of freedom, equality, and democracy." Narges Mohammadi added: "The diversity and plurality of ethnicities, languages, genders, beliefs, ideas, and tendencies of Iranians, along with the historical pathways and moments, and even the biodiversity and nature of this rich land, have provided us, the people of Iran, with an unparalleled opportunity and possibility." She emphasized that this diversity and plurality "can be the foundation and enhancer of democracy, civil society, and human rights and can serve as a model for the thirsty region and Middle East for peace and democracy." The Nobel Peace Prize winner concluded her message by writing: "I have hope and faith that we, the people of Iran, with resistance and perseverance, will successfully transition from the authoritarian religious regime and, united in a democratic path, will bring about a fundamental, life-changing, and hopeful transformation." On the 28th of Esfand, she also sent a message to the United Nations Human Rights Council, thanking the fact-finding committee and the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, emphasizing that "human rights violations are systematically, comprehensively, and institutionally perpetrated against the people of Iran."