Narges Mohammadi: Iranians ‘paying an extremely heavy price’ for war, economic hardship

Iranians are suffering as economic misery and internal repression leave “no room for people to breathe” after a year and a half of wars and ongoing US sanctions, the country’s most prominent human rights activist tells The Associated Press.

Narges Mohammadi, 54, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, was temporarily released from prison for medical reasons earlier this year after falling unconscious and being transferred to a hospital.

Her memoir — titled “A Woman Never Stops Fighting” — was written behind bars, with parts of it smuggled out by fellow inmates. Editions in French, German and nine other languages are being released this month. The English and Farsi editions are to be released next year.

In an interview conducted with The Associated Press from outside Iran, Mohammadi says Iranians are grappling with multiple crises stemming from the ongoing war and deepening economic pressure.

“It’s the people who are paying an extremely heavy price,” she says.

But she says many Iranians continue to quietly defy their leaders, a change she traces back to the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in a hospital after being detained for violating authorities’ strict Islamic dress code.

The release of Mohammadi’s book this month coincides with Amini’s death to honor her memory, her representatives said. The English and Farsi editions are to be released in September 2027 for the same reason.

“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 says. She says that government repression has intensified, but that many in a new, younger generation “know their rights” and are standing firm. “And that gives us reason for hope,” she says.

AP agreed not to ask Mohammadi specific questions about the political situation and leadership in Iran, due to concerns for her safety, though she comments generally about the cost of war.

She says she was severely beaten by security forces when detained in December, in the northeastern city of Mashhad. She and a group of activists were attending a memorial ceremony for human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, who was found dead in his office. She was arrested while giving a public speech. She was sentenced to 16 years and more than a 100 lashes for attending that rally. She has not been flogged but spent long periods in solitary confinement.

“My detention was really life-threatening,” she says. “My head was severely hurt because most of the hits were to my head, and despite being in that condition, they kept me for two months in solitary confinement during which my condition was really concerning.”

She lost consciousness on May 1 and was transferred to a hospital. She was released on bail nearly 10 days later and transferred to a hospital in Tehran, where she remained for another two weeks.