Narges Mohammadi handed additional one-year prison sentence
On 4 August 2023, woman human rights defender Narges Mohammadi was handed an additional one-year prison sentence by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on the charge of “propaganda activities” based on her public communications to Javaid Rahman, the United Nations Special Rappoteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and BBC World, exposing sexual violence against women prisoners.
On 9 October 2022, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Narges Mohammadi in absentia to 15 months in prison under the charge of “propaganda against state” for inviting people to support the justice-seeking mothers and take part in anti-war protests. Additionally, the woman human rights was subjected to complementary punishments such as the fact that she should introduce herself to “The Law Enforcement Command of Islamic Republic of Iran” every month for two years once the prison sentence has been served, two years ban from membership in political parties, cleaning up deserted neighbourhood from garbage for three months, and four hours per day in coordination withof the municipality of the region.
Narges Mohammadi is Deputy Director of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (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.
On 4 August 2023, woman human rights defender Narges Mohammadi was handed an additional one-year prison sentence by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on the charge of “propaganda activities” based on her public communications to Javaid Rahman, the United Nations Special Rappoteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and BBC World, exposing sexual violence against women prisoners.
While this additional sentence is one of the five recent court cases opened against the woman human rights defender because of her human rights work, Narges Mohammadi is currently serving multiple prison sentences in Evin prison which have been issued in less than two years. These amount to a total of eleven years and eleven months in prison, in addition to 154 lashes, a two-year travel ban, two fines, a two-year ban from membership in political or social groups and community service. If this sentence is confirmed by the court of appeals, the woman human rights defender will have to serve a total of ten years and nine months in prison after the application of article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.
On 9 October 2022, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Narges Mohammadi in absentia to 15 months in prison under the charge of “propaganda against state” for inviting people to support the justice-seeking mothers and take part in anti-war protests. Additionally, the woman human rights was subjected to complementary punishments such as the fact that she should introduce herself to “The Law Enforcement Command of Islamic Republic of Iran” every month for two years once the prison sentence has been served, two years ban from membership in political parties, cleaning up deserted neighbourhood from garbage for three months, and four hours per day in coordination with the municipality of the region.
Narges Mohammadi is Deputy Director of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (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.
This is the third time that the woman human rights defender is being sentenced to prison sentences, amounting to eleven years and eleven months in less than two years. Previously, on 25 January 2022, Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court had sentenced the woman human rights defender on the charge of “collusion against state security” to eight years and two months in prison, 74 lashes, a two year ban from accessing telecommunications tools and social media, two years of exile outside of Tehran, and a two year ban on membership in political groups. In another case dating back to 22 May 2021, she was informed that Branch 1177 of the Criminal Court II of Quds Judicial Complex had sentenced her to 30 months in prison, 80 lashes and two fines. One of the fines amounts to 100 million IRR, while the second is to be announced by the Iranian Organization of Prisons. The woman human rights defender was charged with “propaganda activity against the state” for publishing statements against death penalty, staging a sit-in the Evin prison’s bureau, disobeying the prison’s authorities to end the sit-in, breaking the windows and allegedly physical assaulting the prison’s authorities.
The woman human rights defender has been unjustly imprisoned for the most part of the last six years, and had received another long sentence of eight years early this year while being held in solitary confinement for over two months, predominantly incommunicado. Front Line Defenders is particularly concerned given the vulnerable health condition of the woman human rights defender, as she suffers from cardiac problems. It also believes that the new sentence, her ill-treatment and prison conditions, and the denial and delay of access to medical furlough and necessary medication is solely due to her peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights. Front Line Defenders urges the Iranian authorities to release Narges Mohammadi and all the women human rights defenders who have been unjustly imprisoned for their human rights work in Iran.
