Narges Mohammadi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Narges Mohammadi
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| نرگس محمدی | |
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| Born | 21 April 1972 Zanjan, Iran
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| Other names | Narges Safie Mohammadi |
| Education | Qazvin International University (BS) |
| Organization |
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| Movement | Neo-Shariatism |
| Spouse(s) |
Taghi Rahmani
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards |
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Narges Mohammadi (Persian: نرگس محمدی; born 21 April 1972) is a brave human rights activist from Iran. She works to protect people's rights and freedoms. Narges is the vice president of an important group called the Defenders of Human Rights Center. This group was started by Shirin Ebadi, who also won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Narges Mohammadi has spoken out strongly for women's rights in Iran. She has campaigned against rules that make women wear a headscarf. She believes women should have the freedom to choose.
In October 2023, while she was in prison, Narges Mohammadi received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. She won this award for her fight against unfair treatment of women in Iran. The prize also recognized her work to promote human rights and freedom for everyone.
In November 2024, Narges had surgery on her leg due to health concerns. She was returned to prison soon after, which worried many people about her health. In July 2025, the Norwegian Nobel Committee reported that Narges Mohammadi had received threats in Iran.
Contents
Early Life and Activism
Narges Mohammadi was born on April 21, 1972, in Zanjan, Iran. She grew up in different cities in Iran. She studied physics at Imam Khomeini International University and became an engineer.
While at university, Narges wrote articles supporting women's rights for the student newspaper. She also joined student groups that worked for political change. Because of her activism, she was sometimes arrested. She was even stopped from joining a mountain climbing group because of her political activities.
After university, Narges worked as a journalist for newspapers that wanted to see reforms in Iran. She also wrote a book of essays about politics. In 2003, she joined the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC). This organization works to protect human rights. Narges later became the vice president of the DHRC.
In 1999, Narges married Taghi Rahmani, who was also a journalist working for reforms. He was arrested many times. In 2012, Taghi moved to France after spending 14 years in prison. Narges chose to stay in Iran to continue her important human rights work. Narges and Taghi have two children, who are twins.
Her Fight for Rights
Narges Mohammadi was first arrested in 1998 because she spoke out against the Iranian government. She spent a year in prison. In 2010, she was called to court again because of her work with the DHRC. She was briefly released but then arrested again and held in Evin Prison.
While in prison, Narges's health became worse. She developed a condition that caused her to lose muscle control. After a month, she was released to get medical help.
In 2011, Narges was found guilty of "acting against national security" and "spreading propaganda against the system." She was sentenced to 11 years in prison, which was later reduced to six years. Many groups around the world, like Amnesty International, said she was a "prisoner of conscience" and asked for her release. They believed she was in prison just for her peaceful activism.
In July 2012, Narges Mohammadi was released from prison. However, her fight was not over.
Speaking Out and Re-arrests
In October 2014, Narges Mohammadi gave a speech at the grave of Sattar Beheshti, a person who died in prison. She questioned why people were not speaking up about such deaths. A video of her speech became very popular online. Because of this, she was called to court again.
In May 2015, Narges was arrested once more. She was sentenced to many years in prison for her activism. This included her work with a group called Legam, which campaigned to end the death penalty. She was also punished for talking to international news organizations.
In January 2019, Narges went on a hunger strike in Evin Prison with another prisoner, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. They were protesting being denied medical care. In July 2020, Narges showed signs of COVID-19, but she recovered. She was released from prison in October 2020.
Continuing the Fight from Prison
Even after being released, Narges Mohammadi continued her work. In March 2021, she wrote a powerful message for a report on the death penalty in Iran. She spoke about her worries for people arrested in certain areas, fearing they might face unfair trials and harsh sentences.
In May 2021, Narges was sentenced again to prison, lashes, and fines for "spreading propaganda against the system." She did not report to prison because she believed the sentence was unfair.
However, in November 2021, Narges Mohammadi was arrested again in Karaj. She was attending a memorial for someone killed by security forces during protests. Amnesty International said her arrest was unfair.
From prison, Narges has continued to speak out. In December 2022, during the Mahsa Amini protests, the BBC shared a report from Narges. It described the difficult conditions and mistreatment of women held in prison. In January 2023, she shared another report from Evin Prison, listing 58 women prisoners and describing their experiences. Many of these women had spent a long time in solitary confinement.
Narges Mohammadi has strongly criticized solitary confinement, calling it "White Torture". She even wrote a book with this title in 2022. She has said, "I will not rest until it is abolished." In September 2023, she supported Mehdi Yarrahi after he was arrested for his protest song "Roosarito".
In May 2024, Narges Mohammadi announced that she was facing new charges from the Iranian government. In January 2025, she shared that she had finished writing her autobiography. She was also working on a new book about the mistreatment and harassment of women in Iranian prisons.
Awards and Recognition
Narges Mohammadi has received many important awards for her brave work:
- 2009: Alexander Langer Award, for peace activism.
- 2011: Per Anger Prize, a human rights award from the Swedish government.
- 2016: Human Rights Award of the City of Weimar.
- 2018: Andrei Sakharov Prize from the American Physical Society.
- 2022: Recognized as one of BBC's 100 inspiring and influential women.
- 2023: Olof Palme Prize, shared with Marta Chumalo and Eren Keskin.
- 2023: PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award from PEN America.
- 2023: UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, shared with Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi.
- 2023: Nobel Peace Prize "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all."
- The speech for her Nobel Prize was secretly sent out of Evin prison. Her teenage children, Ali and Kiana Rahmani, read it at the awards ceremony in Oslo.
In 2010, when Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi won an award, she dedicated it to Narges Mohammadi. Shirin Ebadi said, "This courageous woman deserves this award more than I do."
Her Book
- White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners. This book was published in 2022. It shares interviews with Iranian women prisoners.
See also
In Spanish: Narges Mohammadi para niños
