Open Letter from PEN America Ahead of Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony; 'Free Narges Now'

PEN America and hundreds of human rights activists from around the world have issued an open letter urging the Iranian government to allow Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, to travel to Oslo to attend the award ceremony. The letter states that Narges Mohammadi has dedicated her life to fighting for freedom and women's rights in Iran and should be allowed to participate in the Nobel ceremony. PEN America wrote in the letter to the Iranian government that 'Narges Mohammadi is the winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize and earlier this year received both the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.' However, despite widespread global recognition for her tireless support of women's rights and human rights in Iran, Narges is currently serving multiple politically motivated prison sentences totaling over 30 years. Given her unstable health condition, we are extremely concerned for her physical well-being.' The letter references the hardships Ms. Mohammadi has faced for her peaceful humanitarian activism over the years, including 'arrests, false charges for retaliation, neglect of medical needs, and abusive treatment in detention, including prolonged solitary confinement,' and the signatories call on the Iranian government to 'immediately release her and ensure she receives appropriate medical care.' Amnesty International also stated on November 22 that Narges Mohammadi's life is in danger and demanded her unconditional release. The human rights organization reported that on November 6, in protest against the prosecution's refusal to transfer Narges Mohammadi for urgent medical tests to a hospital outside the prison, she went on a hunger strike, but two days later, due to global protests, officials transferred her to the hospital without mandatory hijab. However, on the same day and before the test results were reviewed by doctors, she was returned to Evin Prison in Tehran. Amnesty International states that although doctors have determined that Narges Mohammadi needs immediate angioplasty and that fluids in her esophagus are swollen, the prosecution again prevented her transfer to the hospital on November 15, conditioning it on compliance with mandatory hijab. Nonetheless, the next day she was transferred for angioplasty without mandatory hijab and returned to prison the same day against medical advice. Ms. Mohammadi had previously stated that she is unwilling to comply with mandatory hijab for hospital transfer, and as such, judicial officials have previously blocked her transfer to the hospital. PEN America, along with other signatories of the letter, urges the global community to immediately pressure the Iranian government for Narges Mohammadi's release. The letter states that 'prioritizing human rights over political considerations and defending the freedom of those who use their voice to defy tyranny and advocate for justice and equality is a moral imperative. Narges's continued imprisonment not only violates her rights but is a stark reminder of the widespread brutal harassment faced today in Iran and around the world by political dissidents and human rights defenders.' The letter emphasizes that human rights issues must be an inseparable part of any negotiations or relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and notes that 'the Nobel Peace Prize is not merely a personal accolade but represents a global acknowledgment of the need for change and justice in Iran.' The signatories believe that Narges Mohammadi's presence at the ceremony 'would inspire hope for all those around the world, especially brave Iranians striving for their dreams of a more just world.' Narges Mohammadi, born in 1972 in Zanjan, has been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned over the past two decades. In her latest legal case, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for 'anti-government propaganda' and is currently held in Evin Prison in Tehran.