Narges Mohammadi: We Will Continue the Struggle to Transition from the Religious, Authoritarian, and Anti-Women Regime of the Islamic Republic

The Instagram page attributed to Narges Mohammadi, a imprisoned human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reported that the "Cinema Foundation for Peace" awarded the "Protector of Democracy and Human Rights" prize to her children in Berlin. According to the report, Ms. Mohammadi, in a message for the award ceremony, urged the world not to remain "silent" regarding the "suffering" of millions of women in the Middle East, especially in Iran under the Islamic Republic regime and in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. She emphasized that "we stand firm and will continue the struggle to transition from the religious, authoritarian, and anti-women regime of the Islamic Republic." Narges Mohammadi expressed confidence that "the people of Iran will prevail" and addressed the world, saying, "You will hear the sound of our victory anthem from the streets of our cities." According to the report, Ali Rahmani and Kiana Rahmani (her children), Taghi Rahmani (husband), and Hamidreza Mohammadi (brother) attended the award ceremony for the "Protector of Democracy and Human Rights" held on Monday, February 30. This award was given in recognition of "years of activism, struggle, and resilience" by Ms. Mohammadi in the fields of "human rights, women's rights, and democracy in Iran." Narges Mohammadi, spokesperson for the Human Rights Defenders Center and born in 1972 in Zanjan, won the Nobel Peace Prize last year while imprisoned. Over the past three decades, since 1991, she has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times, and in her latest legal case, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "propaganda against the regime" and is currently held in Evin Prison in Tehran. The Cinema Foundation for Peace had awarded last year's "Protector of Democracy and Human Rights" prize to Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, and Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics. In the latest update on Narges Mohammadi's situation, her family announced on February 20 that while the "ban on phone calls and visits" was supposed to be lifted from February 15, this ban was extended following her letter to the UN Secretary-General. Additionally, it was reported that since December 8 (about two and a half months ago), Ms. Mohammadi's phone calls and visits have been cut off by the order of the Islamic Republic's security officials under the pretext of "activities inside the prison" and sending materials and writings outside the prison. Following the announcement of the extension of the ban on contact and visits for Narges Mohammadi in Evin Prison, Senator Ben Cardin, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote on February 27 on social media "X": "Narges Mohammadi has been an inspiration for men and women in Iran and around the world in the fight for human rights for decades."