Shirin Ebadi and Amnesty International Call for the Release of Narges Mohammadi

On Friday, the Human Rights Defenders Center reported that the "President of Amnesty International" and Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, called for the release of Narges Mohammadi, the spokesperson for this center, during a meeting titled "The Legal Status of Women" in London. According to the report published on the NGO's website on Friday, June 29, a meeting titled "The Legal Status of Women" was held on June 25 in London. The report states that the "President of Amnesty International" announced at the beginning of the event that the organization had prepared a letter requesting the release of Narges Mohammadi and intended to send it to the Iranian embassy after it was signed by the attendees at the end of the event. During this event, Shirin Ebadi also mentioned that Narges Mohammadi, in addition to her previous conviction for opposing the death penalty and launching a campaign against solitary confinement, is facing another case for which she must appear in court in July. Ms. Ebadi did not provide details about this case. On Tuesday, June 5, Shirin Ebadi, along with five other Nobel Peace Prize winners, including Jody Williams and Tawakkol Karman, issued a statement declaring Narges Mohammadi's detention as contrary to international human rights conventions and called for her immediate and unconditional release. Ms. Mohammadi was arrested at her home on Tuesday, May 15, just two days after her court hearing in Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court was postponed. In a previous interview with Radio Farda, she mentioned charges of "collusion and conspiracy against national security," "propaganda against the regime," and establishing the group "Legam" as her accusations, calling them "baseless." "Legam" is an acronym for "Step-by-Step Abolition of the Death Penalty" and was formed by several political and cultural figures opposed to the death penalty in Iran. Narges Mohammadi has been summoned and interrogated several times in recent years. In 2011, she was initially sentenced to 11 years in prison for "collusion and conspiracy against national security," "propaganda against the regime," and "membership in the Human Rights Defenders Center," which was later reduced to six years in December of that year. In 2012, she was transferred to Evin Prison and then to Zanjan Prison to serve her sentence, but due to illness, she was released on bail of 600 million tomans in August 2012. In this context, the Human Rights Defenders Center expressed concern about the conditions of sick prisoners, stating that if Narges Mohammadi's essential medications are not provided, "she will go on a hunger strike."