december

Free Narges now!

(Picture: Wikipedia)

To the Iranian Government

Free Narges Now!

Open Letter on Occasion

of the Nobel Peace Prize

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, joined by individual writers, journalists, artists, human rights defenders, and other allies, are writing to urge the immediate release of Narges Mohammadi, currently being held in prison in Iran. Narges is the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner and was also awarded both the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize earlier this year. Yet despite massive global recognition for her tireless advocacy for women's rights and human rights in Iran, Narges is currently serving multiple politically-motivated prison sentences totalling over 30 years. Given the precarious state of her health, we are extremely concerned for her physical well-being.

For over a decade, Narges has faced a sequence of ordeals including a series of arrests, false retaliatory charges, medical neglect, and abusive treatment in custody, including prolonged periods in solitary confinement, all as a result of her peaceful expression and activism. She has been torn away from her family and is not allowed even phone contact with her husband and children. Her health has severely declined due to egregious prison conditions and medical neglect by authorities; they have repeatedly refused to give her regular access to essential health check-ups with a specialist for an ongoing heart and pulmonary condition because she refuses to wear the mandatory hijab. On November 6, she undertook a 3-day hunger strike to protest the care denial. Her life and safety are at risk.

We, the undersigned, demand that the Iranian government immediately release Narges Mohammadi and ensure she receives proper medical care. We also urge the Iranian authorities to facilitate a reunion with her family, who she has not seen in eight years, and to allow her to travel to Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony on December 10, where her courageous work will be rightfully celebrated. Narges' story is one of extraordinary courage in the face of adversity, making her name synonymous with the fight for human rights in Iran. Her experience underscores the global struggles for free expression and women’s equality and serves as a stark reminder of the heavy price that dissidents and activists pay in the name of freedom and equal rights.

We concurrently call on the international community to urgently press for Narges Mohammadi's release. It is a moral imperative to prioritize human rights over political considerations and to advocate for the freedom of those who use their voices to defy tyranny and to champion justice and equality. Narges’ continued imprisonment is not just a violation of her rights but a stark reminder of the extent of the brutal persecution still faced by political dissidents and human rights defenders in Iran and around the world today. Her case is indicative of systemic abuse, and accentuates the pressing need for human rights to be an integral part of any negotiations or relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Nobel Peace Prize is not just a personal accolade, but it represents a global acknowledgment of the need for change and justice in Iran. Her presence at the ceremony would provide hope to all those around the world, and especially the brave Iranians, who strive to make a difference so that their dreams of a more just world can be realized.

Individual Signatories:

Organizational Signatories:

Source: PEN America