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 | Imam Khomeini 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, born on April 21, 1972, is a brave human rights activist from Iran. She works as the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC). This group is led by Shirin Ebadi, who also won the Nobel Peace Prize. Narges Mohammadi speaks out strongly for women's rights and freedom in her country. She has often spoken against the rules about the mandatory hijab for women.
Because of her important work, Narges Mohammadi has faced many challenges. She has been arrested and spent time in prison several times. For example, in May 2016, she received a long prison sentence. She was released in 2020 but returned to prison in 2021. From prison, she has shared information about the difficult conditions and isolation that women face there.
In October 2023, while still in prison, Narges Mohammadi received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. She earned this award for her courageous efforts to end the unfair treatment of women in Iran. She also received it for her work to promote human rights and freedom for everyone.
In November 2024, Narges Mohammadi had surgery on her leg due to health concerns. She was then returned to prison shortly after. On December 12, 2025, she was again arrested while attending a memorial.
Contents
Who is Narges Mohammadi?
Early Life and Education
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. During her time at university, Narges started speaking up for women's rights. She wrote articles for the student newspaper. She also joined student groups that discussed important social issues. Because of her activities, she faced arrests and was even stopped from joining a mountain climbing group.
Starting Her Activism
After university, Narges Mohammadi worked as a journalist. She wrote for newspapers that wanted to see positive changes in society. She also published a book of essays about politics. In 2003, she joined the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC). This important organization works to protect human rights. Later, she became the vice president of the DHRC, working alongside Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi.
In 1999, Narges married Taghi Rahmani, who was also a journalist and supported reforms. He faced arrests and spent many years in prison. In 2012, Taghi moved to France. However, Narges chose to stay in Iran to continue her work for human rights. Narges and Taghi have two children, who are twins.
Her Fight for Human Rights
Facing Arrests and Prison
Narges Mohammadi was first arrested in 1998 for speaking out about government policies. She spent a year in prison. In April 2010, she was called to court because of her work with the DHRC. She was briefly released but then arrested again and held at Evin Prison. While in prison, her health worsened, and she developed a condition that affected her muscle control. After a month, she was released to seek medical treatment.
In July 2011, Narges Mohammadi was found guilty of speaking out against government actions. She was also found guilty of being part of the DHRC. In September, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison. She learned of the verdict from her lawyers. The court documents said her human rights activities were like trying to change the government. In March 2012, her sentence was reduced to six years. She was arrested on April 26 to begin serving this sentence.
Many groups and countries protested her sentence. The British Foreign Office called it an attempt to silence human rights defenders. Amnesty International called her a prisoner of conscience. They asked for her immediate release. Reporters Without Borders also expressed concern for her safety. In July 2012, several international lawmakers called for her release. On July 31, 2012, Narges Mohammadi was released from prison.
Continuing Her Work from Prison
On October 31, 2014, Narges Mohammadi gave a speech at a memorial site. She spoke about the importance of standing up for justice. The video of her speech became very popular online. This led to her being called to court again.
On May 5, 2015, Narges Mohammadi was arrested once more. She was sentenced to ten years in prison for starting a group called Legam. This group worked to end the death penalty. She also received sentences for gathering and working for change. She was also punished for sharing her views with international media. In January 2019, she went on a hunger strike with another prisoner, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. They protested being denied medical care. In July 2020, she showed symptoms of COVID-19 but recovered. On October 8, 2020, she was released from prison.
In March 2021, Narges Mohammadi wrote an introduction for a report on severe punishments in Iran. She highlighted concerns about unfair trials. She mentioned that some people were pressured to make untrue confessions. She worried about new arrests and the possibility of more severe punishments.
In May 2021, a court in Tehran sentenced Narges Mohammadi to two and a half years in prison. She also received other penalties for "spreading propaganda against the system." She did not respond to the summons to begin this sentence. She believed the conviction was unfair.
On November 16, 2021, Narges Mohammadi was arrested again in Karaj. She was attending a memorial for a person killed during protests. Her arrest was called unfair by Amnesty International. The International Federation for Human Rights also condemned it.
In December 2022, during the Mahsa Amini protests, the BBC published a report by Narges Mohammadi. It described the mistreatment and difficult conditions faced by women in prison. In January 2023, she shared another report from prison. It detailed the experiences of women in Evin Prison. She listed 58 prisoners and the challenging questioning they endured. Many of these women spent a lot of time in isolation.
Narges Mohammadi has strongly criticized solitary confinement. She calls it "White Torture" in her 2022 book. This book was translated into German in 2023. In September 2023, she supported Mehdi Yarrahi. He was arrested for his protest song "Roosarito".
In May 2024, Narges Mohammadi announced she was facing new charges. These charges were related to her actions against the state of Iran.
In December 2024, she was released from prison for three weeks. This was for medical treatment after surgery on her leg. In January 2025, she announced she had finished her autobiography. She also started writing a book about the mistreatment of women in Iranian prisons.
In July 2025, the Norwegian Nobel Committee reported that Narges Mohammadi had received threats. These threats were about "physical elimination" from Iran.
On December 12, 2025, Narges Mohammadi was rearrested. This happened while she was at a memorial ceremony in Mashhad.
Awards and Recognition
Narges Mohammadi has received many important awards for her human rights work:
- 2009: Alexander Langer Award, for peace activism.
- 2011: Per Anger Prize, a Swedish government award for human rights.
- 2016: Human Rights Award of the City of Weimar.
- 2018: Andrei Sakharov Prize from the American Physical Society.
- 2022: Recognized by BBC as one of the 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".
- Her Nobel Prize speech was read at the ceremony in Oslo. Her teenage children, Ali and Kiana Rahmani, read the speech. It was smuggled out of Evin prison in Iran.
- 2024: Cinema for Peace Honorary Award.
In 2010, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi dedicated her Felix Ermacora Human Rights Award to Narges Mohammadi. Ebadi said Narges deserved the award more than she did.
Her Writings
- White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners. OneWorld Publications, 2022. ISBN: 9780861545506
See also
In Spanish: Narges Mohammadi para niños
