The Norwegian Nobel Committee denounced Thursday the sentencing of Iranian women’s rights activist Narges Mohammadi, winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, to one year in prison for “propaganda against the state”.
This is “a flagrant violation of human rights and a travesty of justice,” said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, president of the Norwegian Nobel committee, quoted in a press release.
Aged 52 and incarcerated since November 2021, the activist has been repeatedly convicted and imprisoned for 25 years for her commitment against compulsory veiling for women and against the death penalty.
His lawyer Me Mostafa Nili announced Tuesday on X that “Mme Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to one year in prison for propaganda against the state.”
The Nobel committee said it “strongly condemns this harsh and unjust sentence.”
Mme Mohammadi had refused to attend the hearing of his retrial on June 8 after unsuccessfully requesting that it be open to the public.
Me Nili specified that her client had been judged for “her comments on Dina Ghalibaf (Iranian journalist and student who had accused the police of sexual assault, Editor’s note), and on the boycott of the legislative elections” held in March in Iran.
The activist broadcast an audio message from prison in March, in which she denounced a “large-scale war against women” in the Islamic Republic.
In his message, Mme Mohammadi cited the case of Dina Ghalibaf, who, according to NGOs, was arrested around mid-April after accusing the police on social media of sexually assaulting her during a previous arrest in the metro. Mme Ghalibaf was later released.