Narges Mohammadi sentenced to an extra 15 months in prison

On 15 January 2024, Narges Mohammadi, an award-winning woman human rights defender, was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to fifteen-months in prison on the charge of “propaganda activities against state”, as a consequence of her human rights activities while incarcerated at Evin prison.

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Narges Mohammadi is Deputy Director of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC). She was elected as President of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Peace in Iran, a broad coalition against war and for the promotion of human rights. She has campaigned for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, and was awarded the Per Anger Prize by the Swedish government for her human rights work in 2011. Remarkably, she is the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate for her "fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all."

On 15 January 2024, the woman human rights defender Narges Mohammadi was handed a fifteen months prison sentence on the charge of “propaganda activities against state” by branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court . The recent charges is believed to be resulted from her human rights work inside Evin prison. The charges were initiated by a complaint from the Ministry of Intelligence alleging that her actions posed a threat to national security, likening her to the “country's enemies”, and claiming her engagement in various forms of opposition against the government. On 19 December 2023, the trial was held and the verdict was promptly issued in her absence during that session. However, Narges Mohammadi was notified about the verdict only on 15 January 2024. Additionally, the verdict imposes two years of ban residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a two-year travel ban, a two-year prohibition on membership in social-political groups, and a two-year restriction on using a smartphone.

According to Narges Mohammadi’s family, the court deliberations resemble a political statement against the woman human right defender, emphasizing false accusations that she has been repeatedly incites riots and encourages public opinions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Since March 2021, Narges Mohammadi has faced national security charges for the fifth time, with three charges stemming from her activities within prison. The total of the five convictions amount to twelve years and three months of imprisonment, 154 lashes, four years of travel ban, two years of exile from Tehran province, and several complementary punishment including social and political prohibitions.

Additionally, since the beginning of January 2024, Narges Mohammadi and another thirteen inmates including women human rights defenders Golrokh Iraee, Sarvenaz Ahmadi, Nasim Soltanbeygi and Sepideh Gholian have been banned from making phone calls.

Since 9 January 2024, a collective punishment of banning family visits and receiving books had been in place on women inmates in Women Ward of Evin prison. Sarvenaz Ahmadi, a woman human rights defender who has translated several books into Farsi, has been banned from pursuing her translation work. With the absence of any clear information regarding the duration of this punishment, the family of woman human rights defender Nasim Soltanbeygi were told that the bans are extended until 27 January 2024.

This ban is believed to have been implemented following a visit by 250 judiciary officials, including judges from revolutionary courts, to Evin prison on 27 December 2023. During the visit, a number of women prisoners including women human rights defenders, expressed their dissent through protest songs and slogans, condemning the arrests, imprisonment, and, in some instances, the torture and execution of protesters during the 'woman, life, freedom' demonstrations that began in September 2022 in Iran and continued for several months.

Front Line Defenders condemns the continuous sentencing of Narges Mohammadi and urges Iranian authorities to drop them immediately and unconditionally, as it believes they amount to further targeting of the woman human rights defender for her peaceful work in defense of human rights. Furthermore, Front Line Defenders is extremely concerned about the denying of basic rights of the detained women human rights defenders; such as their rights to telephone calls and family visits on arbitrary bases.

Front Line Defenders urges the Iranian authorities to:

1. Quash the convictions against Narges Mohammadi as Front Line Defenders believes she has been targeted solely as a result of her legitimate human rights work;
2. Ensure that the treatment of Narges Mohammadi, Golrokh Iraee, Sarvenaz Ahmadi, Nasim Soltanbeygi and Sepideh Gholian, while in detention, adheres to the conditions set out in the ‘Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment', adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;
3. Release the woman human rights defender Narges Mohmmadi, as well women human rights defenders unjustly detained including Golrokh Iraee, Sarvenaz Ahmadi, Nasim Soltanbeygi and Sepideh Gholian;
4. Cease targeting human rights defenders in Iran, and guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisal and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment.