Iranian Nobel peace laureate Narges Mohammadi denied attendance at father’s burial

Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi is denied attending her father’s funeral in Iran, where he passed away at the age of 90

Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was outraged earlier this week when Iranian officials forbade her from attending her father’s funeral. Mohammadi’s father, Karim Mohammadi, died away on Tuesday at the age of 90. Her family disclosed on Thursday that she was unable to say her last goodbye to him. Northwest of Tehran is the city of Zanjan, where the burial took place.

Mohammadi’s family released a statement expressing their sorrow at her absence and highlighting her “unequivocal right” to attend her father’s burial. The 51-year-old Mohammadi became well-known around the world for her unwavering support of human rights in Iran, a fight that has resulted in many arrests during the last 20 years.

Since her arrest in Nov. 2021, Mohammadi has spent a considerable amount of time apart from her family, which includes her husband who lives in Paris, and her twin daughters. The family brought up the fact that Mohammadi had not seen her father in 22 months and had not spoken on the phone with him for the last three months before he passed away.

Even after being imprisoned, Mohammadi has persisted in her activity. She has been found guilty on many occasions, most recently of disseminating propaganda critical of the Iranian government and receiving a sentence of more than a year. She has served a total of 12 years and 3 months in jail, in addition to additional harsh punishments including lashing, exile, and severe social and political limitations.

Throughout her imprisonment, Mohammadi has persisted in criticizing Iran’s human rights abuses, highlighting the rise in executions and endorsing demonstrations after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who was detained for allegedly disobeying the country’s severe dress code for women.

Mohammadi, a strong opponent of Iran’s law requiring women to cover their heads, has broken rules even while incarcerated. She predicted a possible return to public demonstrations in the near future in an interview with France’s Le Monde that was published on Thursday. She voiced hope in the Iranian people’s ability to resist the government.

Source: AFP