Narges Mohammadi Sentenced to Another Year in Prison

Mostafa Nili, the lawyer of Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and imprisoned human rights activist, announced the new sentencing of his client to one year in prison. On Tuesday, June 18, he stated on X (formerly Twitter) that this imprisoned human rights activist was sentenced by Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran for 'propaganda against the regime.' According to Mr. Nili, among the reasons for this ruling are Narges Mohammadi's comments regarding the sexual assault and harassment of Dina Qalibaf by officials, her letter regarding the boycott of the parliamentary elections, and her letters to the parliaments of Sweden and Norway. Mr. Nili had previously reported on June 8 that the trial session of this human rights activist was held without her presence in the Revolutionary Court. Over the past three years, Narges Mohammadi has been tried six times in revolutionary and criminal courts and has been sentenced to a total of thirteen years and three months in prison, 154 lashes, exile, and four months of street cleaning. She has been tried and sentenced four times for protesting, revealing, and narrating the sexual assault and harassment by government officials. After the arrest of Dina Qalibaf in late April, Narges Mohammadi sent an audio message outside the prison stating, 'Dina Qalibaf, a journalist, entered the women's ward of Evin prison a few hours ago with bruises and a narrative of sexual assault.' On May 18, Narges Mohammadi announced that one day after sending this audio message, a case was opened against her. Dina Qalibaf was arrested on April 17, one day after she published her personal account of her detention by government agents for not adhering to mandatory hijab and 'sexual assault' by one of them. On March 24 of the previous year, Ms. Mohammadi also issued a statement calling the parliamentary elections 'a show' and 'preordained,' and she called for a boycott. In her statement, this imprisoned human rights activist declared the 'boycott of the preordained elections' as a 'duty' for everyone, not only from a political perspective but also from an ethical standpoint. Meanwhile, on June 3, 36 political and ideological female prisoners in Evin prison called for a public trial of Narges Mohammadi and the presence of independent media in this trial.