The 'Freedom of Narges' Coalition Condemns New Sentence Against Narges Mohammadi

In response to the news of a new one-year prison sentence for Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, the international coalition 'Freedom of Narges' strongly condemned this action by the Iranian judiciary. This committee called on the Iranian government to cease issuing new sentences against Ms. Mohammadi, which have been issued solely due to her peaceful expression of opinions and human rights activities. Mostafa Nili, Narges Mohammadi's lawyer, announced on Tuesday, June 18, that this imprisoned human rights activist was sentenced to another year in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of 'propaganda against the regime.' According to Mr. Nili, among the instances and reasons for this sentence are Ms. Mohammadi's comments about the sexual assault and harassment of Dina Qalibaf by agents, her letter regarding the boycott of parliamentary elections, and her letter to the parliaments of Sweden and Norway. Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to another year in prison. Dina Qalibaf, a journalist, was arrested on April 17, a day after publishing her personal account of her arrest by government agents for not adhering to mandatory hijab and 'sexual assault' by one of them. After Dina Qalibaf's arrest in late April, Ms. Mohammadi sent a voice message from prison stating: 'Dina Qalibaf, a journalist, entered the women's ward of Evin Prison a few hours ago with a bruised body and an account of sexual assault.' The court session for this new case was held on June 8 behind closed doors without the presence of Narges Mohammadi. In response to this sentence, the strategic committee of the international coalition 'Freedom of Narges' stated: 'This is a blatant violation of human rights and a mockery of justice. We support the recent request of 36 female political prisoners in Evin Prison for such trials to be held publicly with access for the media and other observers. We also demand the cancellation of all charges against Narges Mohammadi and her release.' This committee has also called on the international community and governments to 'increase pressure on the Iranian government to respect human rights and justice.' Narges Mohammadi, a human rights defender, journalist, writer, deputy and spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran, has been arrested 13 times, convicted 9 times, and has received a total of more than 36 years in prison throughout her life. Ms. Mohammadi has spent over 10 years in prison and 135 days in solitary confinement. Her current detention began in November 2021, following a sentence issued in May 2021 for 'propaganda against the regime.' The 'Freedom of Narges' coalition is supported by the Narges Foundation, the American PEN Association, Reporters Without Borders, and the human rights organization Front Line Defenders. This coalition calls on the global community to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for its ongoing human rights violations.