Nobel Laureate Sees Hope Amidst Crackdown in Iran
Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prominent Iranian human rights activist, has spoken out about the escalating repression and dire economic conditions within Iran in an interview with the Associated Press (AP). Mohammadi, who has spent over a decade in Iranian prisons and is currently out on temporary medical leave, described a significant increase in state pressure coinciding with the ongoing war and economic crisis. "I am sorry to say, but since the start of the war, in recent months and the last year and a half, we see that repression in society has sharply increased," she stated, adding that "people are paying an extremely high price" due to the oppressive measures and economic hardship.
Despite the intensified crackdown, Mohammadi believes the authorities have failed to crush the spirit of resistance within Iranian society. She pointed to the 2022 protests, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police for violating hijab rules, as a turning point. "If you go out on the streets, you can see a wave of resistance among the people, a wave of awareness and their determination to defend their rights," Mohammadi observed, noting that this change is particularly evident among the younger generation who "know their rights" and are unwilling to back down, which she described as a "reason for hope."
The AP noted that due to security concerns, they avoided specific questions about Iran's current political situation and leadership. Mohammadi detailed her recent arrest in December in Mashhad, where she attended a memorial for activist Khosrow Alikordi. Her participation in this public gathering led to a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, adding to a total of 16 years and over 100 lashes under existing sentences. She alleged that security forces severely beat her during the arrest, causing a head injury, and that she was held in solitary confinement for two months in critical condition before being released on bail on May 1st and hospitalized for two weeks.
Mohammadi's freedom is temporary, with her sentence currently suspended pending a court order. She also reflected on her childhood during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, recalling the "hatred for war" it instilled in her due to the mass repression and executions of political prisoners. She also mentioned an Israeli strike on Tehran's Evin prison during a 2025 conflict between Israel and Iran, an event that occurred while she was outside the prison but where many political inmates remained, making her feel that the country was at the "intersection of injustice, discrimination, war, and authoritarianism."
Mohammadi has faced multiple trials for her activism, resulting in sentences totaling 44 years, with over ten years already served, including 161 days in solitary confinement. She has been banned from leaving Iran since 2009, preventing her from reuniting with her family in France. Her Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 recognized her fight against the oppression of women and for human rights and freedom, awarded while she was imprisoned. The AP interview coincides with the release of her memoir, "Woman, Never Be Silenced," which she wrote in Evin prison and which was smuggled out page by page with the help of fellow inmates.
