UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls for the Release of Narges Mohammadi

The sentencing of Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist, to 10 years in prison on Friday elicited further reactions, including a statement from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calling for her immediate release. Reports published on Wednesday indicated that a court presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati sentenced Mohammadi to 10 years in prison, considering three charges: 'conspiracy to commit a crime against national security,' 'propaganda against the regime,' and 'forming and managing an illegal group called Legam.' This ruling means that the prison term for Mohammadi, who is currently serving a six-year sentence, has been increased by four years. Mohammadi, who is close to Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, served as the vice president of the Human Rights Defenders Center founded by Ebadi. In a statement released on Friday, May 21, the High Commissioner for Human Rights described the ruling against Mohammadi as 'shocking' and criticized the lack of access to medical services for this political prisoner. The statement also emphasized that the ruling reflects a 'dramatically declining tolerance' for human rights in Iran. The UN Human Rights Commissioner has also urged Iranian authorities to ensure the rapid release of Mohammadi and all those imprisoned solely for their human rights. The ruling against Mohammadi had previously provoked reactions from international human rights organizations, with Amnesty International describing it as an example of the 'abuse of Iran's criminal justice system' as a 'tool for repression.' Earlier, Taghi Rahmani, Mohammadi's husband, reacted to the ruling by stating that 'it seems the judge was only looking for an excuse to increase her sentence.' Rahmani added, 'This heavy sentence is revenge not only against Narges but against the entire civil society of Iran. This sentence is the result of a joint action by the Revolutionary Guards and the Ministry of Intelligence to intimidate activists who inform about human rights violations, including the status of political prisoners in Iran.' Reporters Without Borders, reflecting Rahmani's statements, emphasized in a statement that Mohammadi's trial was 'influenced by the illegal actions of the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards.' Christophe Deloire, the Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, also stated that such a heavy sentence indicates the injustice of Iran's judicial system, and President Hassan Rouhani should not remain silent in the face of this judicial abhorrence.