Earlier in December, Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. As she is imprisoned in Iran, her household accepted the prize in her identify. For the reason that announcement, the regime has put extra stress on her and her well being is endangered, husband Taghi Rahmani informed EUobserver.
He speaks in farsi, his voice revealing a way of urgency. Taghi Rahmani is the husband of this yr’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Narges Mohammadi. He’s very involved about her well being. With the assistance of an interpreter, the EUobserver speaks to him in Paris the place he lives together with his kids.
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Taghi Rahmadi and Narges Mohammadi (Photograph: Taghi Rahmadi)
“Since she (Narges Mohammadi) acquired this worth, the regime has been placing rather more stress on her. Narges has coronary heart and lung issues, for instance, however is denied remedy on the hospital since she refuses to placed on a veil,” Taghi Rahmani stated.
He additionally explains that she has been on starvation strike for a number of weeks to protest a few of the regime’s newest executions.
“She will not give in.”
51-year-old Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle in opposition to the oppression of girls in Iran, in addition to for her struggle to advertise human rights and freedom for all. Of their motivation, the Nobel Committee emphasised her lengthy struggle for freedom within the context of the protests beneath the slogan “Lady — Life — Freedom” that has been occurring for the reason that younger Kurdish girl, Mahsa Jina Amini died within the custody of the Iranian morality police, simply over a yr in the past.
Narges Mohammadi is a skilled physicist however has labored as a journalist, author and above all as an activist her entire grownup life. For the previous twenty years, she has been imprisoned for lengthy stretches of time.
Exterior of Iran, she is finest recognized for her involvement with the Defenders of Human Rights Heart, based by fellow Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi in 2003. And since 2011 she has repeatedly been arrested and imprisoned by the regime for this involvement.
Her household, husband Taghi Rahmani and their twins Kiana and Ali Rahmani,17, haven’t been in a position to converse to her immediately in twenty months. Not directly, by means of contacts inside the jail partitions, they handle to remain involved along with her.
The information of the Nobel Prize reached Mohammadi rapidly and she or he was even in a position to have a good time collectively along with her fellow feminine inmates. Nonetheless, since that day, life in jail has turn into even harder for her.
Taghi Rahmani himself has a historical past as a political activist in Iran. He represents a nationalist, spiritual opposition occasion and was imprisoned for 14 years earlier than fleeing together with his and his spouse’s kids to France in 2015. Narges Mohammadi determined to not observe and proceed her activism.
Amnesty Worldwide designated Taghi Rahmnai as a prisoner of conscience — an individual imprisoned for his or her views, simply as Narges Mohammadi nonetheless is as we speak. In the meantime, the Islamic Republic of Iran claims that her crime is “spreading propaganda in opposition to the state,” amongst different accusations.
Narges Mohammadi managed to smuggle a letter out of the jail, with the assistance of different inmates, after the announcement of the Nobel Prize. In it, she witnessed totally on the torture and sexual aggressions in opposition to the imprisoned ladies.
This mistreatment of prisoners, the sexual brutality and torture was additionally the theme of her guide ‘White torture’ from 2021, by which she interviews feminine prisoners in Iran.
EUobserver: Your spouse’s well being is in peril, and she or he retains refusing to put on the hijab and can be on starvation strike which makes it much more hazardous for her. Additionally, she is held within the Evin jail, which has been documented as a brutal and inhumane place. As an activist, her motivations are clear. However as a household, is it price it?
Taghi Rahmani: “The Islamic Republic destroys lives. It has, in a sure manner, destroyed ours as effectively. Our twins, Kiana and Ali, haven’t seen their mom since they have been eight years outdated. Now they’re seventeen. Nonetheless, that is the value to pay to implement and hopefully ultimately liberate different ladies and households of Iran. The starvation strike and the refusal to placed on the Islamic veil are important for this battle. The world’s eyes are on Narges now and therefore, on the regime. In the long run, that is Narges’s alternative and the selection of many, many ladies, and in addition males: to pay the value with the intention to make manner for others.”
He believes that it’s doable to free the Iranian folks from the regime’s oppression however says it will likely be “very, very troublesome” for the reason that oppressor may be very robust.
“They’ve the financial, coverage and navy energy to hinder folks in each manner. We’re not solely speaking about imprisonment, torture and the dying sentence. They’ve the facility to take your job from you, to confiscate your automobile and block your checking account,” Taghi Rahmani says.
He says the Western world is now greater than conscious of what’s taking place in Iran and the Iranian folks is missing a method to do one thing about it.
“There isn’t a life if there isn’t any freedom. I personally have seen jail from inside however even when I’m dwelling freely in France and might go to Oslo to obtain the Nobel Prize in my spouse’s identify I’m not free, my kids aren’t free, Iran just isn’t free. The battle for Girls, Life and freedom should proceed and it could actually solely be performed by means of sacrifice,” Taghmi Rahmani stated.
On 19 December, yet one more trial in opposition to Mohammadi was held by the jail’s Revolutionary Court docket, believed to elongate her sentence.
Since 29 November jail authorities knowledgeable her of the termination of cellphone calls and visits, in line with her lawyer in Iran.
