The Sakharov Prize Ceremony of the American Physical Society for Narges Mohammadi Will Be Held

Reports indicate that the Sakharov Prize ceremony of the American Physical Society for Narges Mohammadi, a political prisoner, human rights activist, and vice president of the Human Rights Defenders Center, will take place next Sunday and Monday. According to the 'American Physical Society' website, on Sunday evening, Nira Tohidi, a professor at California State University, will accept the award on behalf of Narges Mohammadi. Additionally, on Monday, Nira Tohidi is scheduled to read Narges Mohammadi's message at the ceremony. The Sakharov Prize of the American Physical Society was jointly awarded to Narges Mohammadi and the Raavi Kochimanchi Association for Development in India in 2017. The American Physical Society's statement regarding this award noted that it was given for 'leadership in activities related to peace, justice, and the abolition of the death penalty, and her unconditional efforts to promote human rights and freedoms for the people of Iran.' The statement also emphasized that 'despite the harassment and judicial persecution that have halted her scientific work and led to her long imprisonment, Narges Mohammadi has continued her activities.' This award is named after Andrei Sakharov, the famous Russian scientist and dissident, and is awarded to individuals who promote human rights and democracy worldwide. Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for her efforts to promote and support the rights of women, political prisoners, minorities, and other vulnerable groups in society, advocating for free and fair elections, and campaigning for the abolition of the death penalty, and is currently serving her sentence in Evin Prison. The Iranian judiciary and other officials of the Islamic Republic have so far not responded to requests from international and domestic organizations for Ms. Mohammadi's release. Ms. Mohammadi's two children are abroad, and in most cases, prison authorities prevent them from having phone conversations with their mother. The American Physical Society, which has dedicated its Sakharov Prize this year to Ms. Mohammadi, is a non-profit organization that promotes and disseminates knowledge of physics through prominent research publications, scientific meetings, education, and international activities. This society has over 54,000 members, including physicists in universities, national laboratories, and industries in the United States and around the world. The Sakharov Prize of the American Physical Society was also awarded in 2014 to Omid Kokabi, a physics PhD student who was arrested after a trip to Iran in 2010 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but was conditionally released last September.