By Lina Irawan 
Narges Mohammadi, the revered 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has painted a stark picture of a nation suffocating under the weight of escalating crises. In a recent interview conducted from outside Iran, Mohammadi conveyed the profound despair gripping ordinary Iranians, who are caught in a relentless vise of deepening economic hardship, brutal internal crackdowns, and the pervasive anxieties stemming from persistent regional instability. Her words offer a rare, unvarnished glimpse into the daily struggles of a populace yearning for dignity and freedom, yet confronted by a regime increasingly determined to stifle dissent.
Mohammadi, 54, a tireless advocate for human rights who has spent decades fighting for women’s rights and the abolition of the death penalty, spoke just weeks after a harrowing experience saw her temporarily released from prison for urgent medical reasons. Having fallen unconscious and been rushed to a hospital, her brief reprieve from the notorious Evin Prison underscored the life-threatening conditions faced by political prisoners in Iran. Her courageous voice, amplified by the international recognition of the Nobel Committee, serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the Iranian people and a damning indictment of the state’s repressive policies.
The Interlocking Crises: Economic Decay, Intensified Repression, and Regional Instability
Mohammadi’s assessment highlights a complex web of interconnected crises that have converged to create an unbearable atmosphere for Iranians. "I am sorry to say, but since the outbreak of war, in the past months and last year and a half, we have seen that repression in society has severely increased and now, with these economic pressures and with the repression that really has left no room for people to breathe, it’s the people who are paying an extremely heavy price," she stated emphatically.
The economic misery she describes is not new but has significantly worsened. Iran’s economy has long been battered by stringent international sanctions, primarily imposed by the United States over its nuclear program and human rights record. These sanctions have choked off oil exports, restricted access to global financial markets, and deterred foreign investment, leading to rampant inflation, currency devaluation, and high unemployment. Basic necessities have become prohibitively expensive, pushing millions into poverty. The national currency, the rial, has seen its value plummet, eroding savings and making imports costly. Businesses struggle to operate, and the youth, in particular, face a bleak future with limited job prospects. Corruption within the state apparatus further exacerbates these issues, diverting resources and fostering public distrust.
Compounding this economic despair is a dramatic escalation in internal repression. Following the nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests that erupted in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian government responded with an iron fist. Thousands were arrested, hundreds killed, and several protestors were executed after sham trials. The state has intensified its surveillance, tightened control over online spaces, and increased enforcement of mandatory hijab laws, leading to more arrests and harassment of women. Activists, journalists, artists, and anyone perceived as critical of the regime face arbitrary detention, harsh sentences, and systematic torture. This climate of fear and intimidation is designed to crush any nascent signs of dissent, leaving citizens with little recourse or avenue for expressing their grievances.
The phrase "1½ years of wars" and "outbreak of war" in Mohammadi’s statement alludes to the broader geopolitical instability plaguing the region, which indirectly and directly impacts Iran. While Iran has not been involved in a declared large-scale war in the conventional sense in the last 18 months, it has been deeply embroiled in proxy conflicts across the Middle East, supporting various non-state actors. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the broader Red Sea tensions, have ratcheted up regional animosity and heightened the risk of direct confrontation, keeping the populace in a constant state of anxiety and diverting national resources away from pressing domestic needs. This climate of perpetual tension and the constant threat of escalation further constricts the space for civil society and human rights advocacy.
A Voice from Behind Bars: Narges Mohammadi’s Enduring Struggle
Narges Mohammadi’s personal journey is inextricably linked to the struggle for human rights in Iran. Her receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 was a powerful international affirmation of her decades-long commitment, recognizing her "fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all." She was, significantly, behind bars when the award was announced, a poignant symbol of the regime’s determination to silence its most courageous critics.
Her history of activism dates back to the late 1990s, when she began campaigning for women’s rights and student rights. She quickly became a leading figure in various human rights organizations, notably as vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, founded by fellow Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. Her work has consistently focused on exposing human rights abuses, advocating for political prisoners, and campaigning against the death penalty. This unwavering dedication has come at an immense personal cost, leading to repeated arrests, convictions, and lengthy prison sentences. She has been in and out of Iranian prisons for much of the past two decades, suffering physical and psychological torment.
Her most recent health crisis highlighted the cruel conditions of her incarceration. On May 1, she lost consciousness and was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Tehran. This incident led to her temporary release on bail nearly ten days later, where she remained hospitalized for another two weeks. Such medical emergencies are not uncommon for political prisoners in Iran, who are frequently denied adequate medical care, often as a punitive measure. The international community, including human rights organizations and governments, has consistently called for her unconditional release and access to proper medical attention, yet these pleas have largely been ignored by Iranian authorities.
The Memoir: "A Woman Never Stops Fighting"
Amidst the adversity, Mohammadi has continued to defy her captors through her writing. Her memoir, aptly titled "A Woman Never Stops Fighting," is a testament to her indomitable spirit. Written behind the forbidding walls of Evin Prison, parts of the manuscript were meticulously smuggled out by fellow inmates, a dangerous act of solidarity that speaks volumes about the bonds formed in shared oppression.
The memoir offers a deeply personal account of her life, her activism, and the systemic injustices she has witnessed and endured. It is a powerful narrative of resistance, resilience, and the unwavering pursuit of justice in the face of brutal authoritarianism. The international release of editions in French, German, and nine other languages this month marks a significant moment, bringing her powerful message to a global audience. The English and Farsi editions are slated for release next year, strategically timed for September 2027, to coincide with the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death – a deliberate choice by Mohammadi and her representatives to honor Amini’s memory and ensure her sacrifice is never forgotten. This act of remembrance underscores the deep connection Mohammadi feels to the ongoing struggle for women’s rights and freedom in Iran, positioning her memoir not just as a personal story but as a chronicle of a collective movement.
The Spirit of Resistance: Echoes of Mahsa Amini
Despite the crushing repression, Mohammadi insists that the spirit of resistance among Iranians remains vibrant. She traces this change back to the monumental 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died in the custody of the morality police after being detained for allegedly violating the country’s strict Islamic dress code. Her death ignited a nationwide uprising, dubbed the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, which saw unprecedented numbers of women and youth taking to the streets, openly defying the regime, removing their headscarves, and demanding fundamental rights.
"If you go out into the streets, you see a wave of resistance among the people, a wave of awareness, and their determination to stand up for their rights," Mohammadi observed. She highlighted the emergence of a new, younger generation, distinct from previous eras of dissent. These young Iranians, many of whom have grown up with access to the internet and global information, are acutely "aware of their rights" and possess a profound determination to challenge the status quo. This generational shift, coupled with the legacy of the Mahsa Amini protests, provides a crucial source of hope for Mohammadi and other activists. The protests may have been brutally suppressed, but they fundamentally altered the social landscape, fostering a deeper sense of collective identity and a refusal to be silenced. The overt defiance, though risky, continues in subtle ways, from women choosing not to wear the hijab in public to widespread discontent expressed through art, music, and online discourse.
Life-Threatening Detention: Mohammadi’s Personal Ordeal
Mohammadi’s account of her most recent arrest and detention is a chilling reminder of the state’s ruthlessness. She was arrested in December while attending a memorial ceremony for human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran. Her participation in a public speech at this sensitive gathering, honoring a fellow advocate, was deemed an act of defiance. Security forces brutally apprehended her, subjecting her to a severe beating. "My head was severely hurt, because most of the hits were to my head," she recounted, detailing the physical trauma inflicted upon her.
Despite her injuries, she was subsequently held in solitary confinement for two months. This form of isolation, a common tactic used by Iranian authorities, is designed to break a prisoner’s spirit, causing immense psychological distress and further exacerbating any physical ailments. Her condition during this period was "really concerning," she stressed, underscoring the life-threatening nature of her detention. For merely attending a memorial and speaking out, Mohammadi was sentenced to a staggering 16 years in prison and more than 100 lashes. While she has not yet been flogged, the mere existence of such a barbaric sentence for peaceful assembly highlights the extreme measures employed by the Iranian judiciary against dissenters.
Her memoir, which she had initially started writing in 2019 during an earlier stint in Evin, faced further obstacles when her handwritten notes were confiscated during a transfer. Undeterred, she restarted her work, and this time, "with the help of fellow inmates, we got a few pages out, a few pages at a time," she explained. "If it weren’t for them, I couldn’t have done it." This collaborative effort to preserve and disseminate her words underscores the collective spirit of resistance that persists even within the most oppressive environments. As for her physical recovery from the recent ordeal, Mohammadi stated simply, "I am recovering."
Roots of Resistance: Childhood, War, and Women’s Inspiration
Mohammadi attributes much of her lifelong commitment to human rights to the powerful influence of other women, beginning with her own mother. She found inspiration in "how these women really managed to change their world, their society, themselves, the next generation — make them aware, make them resist." This matrilineal and communal aspect of resistance highlights the pivotal role women have historically played in Iranian social and political movements.
Her childhood memories also profoundly shaped her anti-war stance. She recalled "terrifying memories" from the 1980s Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), a brutal conflict that devastated both nations and left a lasting scar on Iranian society. Beyond the direct violence of the war, Mohammadi also remembered "a lot of the repression, repression of many political currents and forces, many executions that happened in the silence and darkness of Evin and prisons around the country." This period saw the nascent Islamic Republic consolidate its power through widespread purges and executions of political opponents, often conducted in secret. These formative experiences instilled in her a deep-seated "hatred for war" and a profound commitment to exposing and combating state-sponsored violence and injustice, whether on the battlefield or within prison walls.
Precarious Freedom and the Shadow of War
Mohammadi’s current freedom is tenuous, a constant reminder of the sword of Damocles hanging over her head. She has been handed down cumulative sentences totaling 44 years throughout her activist career, of which she has already spent a decade in prison, including 161 days in solitary confinement. Her family life has been shattered; she has been banned from traveling abroad since 2009 and is unable to join her husband and two children, who live in exile in France. This separation is a heavy price for her convictions, a sacrifice shared by countless other Iranian dissidents.
She lives with the ever-present threat of re-arrest. "My sentence is currently suspended, and I must return whenever the judiciary issues the order," she clarified in a text message shared by her team. This precarious status means she could be summoned back to prison at any moment, her temporary medical release potentially revoked at the whim of the authorities.
The shadow of future conflict also looms large in her thoughts. She recounted her profound concern when she considered a hypothetical scenario where Evin prison could be bombed during a potential "12-day war between Israel and Iran in 2025," a period she envisioned herself being out of prison. While this specific conflict is a projected future event rather than a past one, Mohammadi’s contemplation of it underscores the constant existential threat of regional conflict that hangs over Iran and its people. For her, such a scenario would represent the ultimate convergence of all the evils she fights against. "At that moment, I felt that, in this country, we are at the intersection of injustice, discrimination, war, authoritarianism," she reflected. "All of those are trampling on our people’s human rights."
Narges Mohammadi’s voice, though weary from years of struggle and imprisonment, remains unyielding. Her testimony serves as a vital call to attention, urging the world not to forget the suffering of Iranians and the courage of those who continue to fight for a future where people can finally breathe free. Her commitment, despite the immense personal cost and the constant threat of renewed incarceration, embodies the very essence of the resistance she observes blooming across Iran.
