Tehran Prison Denies Meeting To Nobel Laureate Over Hijab Refusal
Maryam Sinaiee
Iran International
Narges Mohammadi's lawyer reports that Tehran's Evin Prison authorities denied her a meeting on Tuesday because she refused to wear the hijab.
Iran International
Narges Mohammadi's lawyer reports that Tehran's Evin Prison authorities denied her a meeting on Tuesday because she refused to wear the hijab.
Mostafa Nili, in a tweet, explained that he was informed at the prisoners' visiting hall, after a considerable wait to see his client, that prison authorities had decided not to allow Mohammadi to meet him, ultimately forcing him to leave.
Mohammadi, a prominent human rights activist and physicist who was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize, is well-known for her vocal criticism of the Islamic Republic, particularly its compulsory hijab laws and various human rights violations, including the death penalty.
In a phone call quoted on an Instagram account authorized by Mohammadi, she stated that a prison guard had assaulted, threatened, and verbally abused her for not wearing the hijab. This incident took place in the prison clinic in September, in the presence of some prison authorities, resulting in bruises as she was dragged to the prison courtyard. She added that she protested against the maltreatment of another prisoner by shouting that prison guards had no right to threaten inmates and even climbed on a car while chanting "Down with the Islamic Republic."
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which recognized Mohammadi for her "fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all," has called for her release.
In a letter addressed to the European Parliament, Mohammadi reiterated her view that the Islamic Republic is a religious dictatorship and anti-women, urging for "maximum pressure" on the regime to ensure its compliance with human rights and to support Iranian women in their struggle.
Over the past few months, Mohammadi, 51, has penned several letters from Evin Prison, where she has been serving a twelve-year sentence since November 2021 for charges including "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." She has consistently denied these charges, which were brought against her after she issued a statement against the death penalty.
As the co-founder and chairperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, Mohammadi has been detained and imprisoned multiple times over the past two decades.
Officials of the Islamic Republic, including Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, have condemned Mohammadi's Nobel Peace Prize as a "politically motivated move" and accused Western governments, including Norway, of pursuing "anti-Iranian and interventionist policies."
Ultra-hardline media outlets, such as the IRGC-affiliated Javan newspaper, have labeled her a "separatist, pro-sanctions Iranian."
Mohammadi has, on various occasions, opposed Western economic sanctions on Iran, arguing that these, combined with the government's economic inefficiency, have led to the impoverishment of the Iranian people and weakened their power. However, she has defended sanctions and travel restrictions imposed on Islamic Republic officials for human rights violations.
Iran’s ruler Ali Khamenei talked of “betting on the losing horse” in reference to regional countries, Saudi Arabia in particular, thawing relations with Israel mere days before the attack. The Supreme Leader and the Revolutionary Guards have also been providing money, weapons, military training and intelligence to militarize the Gaza Strip for years.
The regime was also so quick to install banners and billboards and hold street celebrations for the attack, that people started asking questions if they had been prepared for it. Hamas thanks Iran for support, and Iran reassures that they will get more but implies it had nothing to do with the operation.
In Iran, after Khamenei dictates the themes of the regime’s policy vis-a-vis global developments, other officials and clerics as well as his representatives across the country who are Friday Imams of the cities, start to promulgate them. The office of the Supreme Leader also produces media content to make sure other officials know the themes, such as the “losing horse,” that was made into a video clip and has also become a trendy hashtag in cybersphere by the regime’s online soldiers.
In addition to Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi other senior politicians have been vocal in adulation of the attack. About three days into the war that started with Hamas killing about a thousand Israelis, injuring several thousands, and taking scores as hostages, firebrand cleric Ahmad Khatami, one of Tehran’s Friday Prayer Imams, talked of the regime’s promise of annihilation of Israel and described the attack as “heroic” on Tuesday. "We send a message to the governments that are moving towards normalizing relations with Israel that this path is a dead-end,” he said.
Hossein Noori Hamedani, a conservative grand ayatollah in Iran, said, "Islamic countries should not think of normalizing relations with a country that cannot protect itself and has a government on the brink of collapse."
Mohammad Sadat, the head of the Islamic Development Coordination Council in Kordestan province, not only congratulated Khamenei for the Hamas attack but also threatened that more extensive attacks on Israel would occur. He added, "This prideful operation was a warning to the hegemonic countries."
Congratulations to Hamas came from Abdolnabi Mousavi-Fard, Khamenei’s man in Khuzestan province, stating that "Hamas has executed brilliant scenes of resistance and steadfastness." He added, "The firing of thousands of rockets and missiles at Israel is a blessing of the presence of Khamenei and the school of Qasem Soleimani." As the commander of IRGC’s Quds extraterritorial force, Soleimani was the architect of Iran’s proxy warfare in the region. He was killed by a US drone attack in 2020.
Even officials known to be critical of the regime, such as reformist heavyweight Mohammad Khatami, have hailed the attack as “a significant achievement for the Palestinian people.”
As the international community continues to denounce the Hamas invasion, Iranian officials are openly encouraging Palestinians to escalate their efforts.
Ali Fadavi, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), described Hamas's attack on Israel as "historic" and stated, "The Islamic Republic has played an effective role in boosting the spirit of resistance and battle." The ‘resistance’ is the term the Islamic Republic regime calls its logistic, financial and intelligence support for the militia groups in the region, several of which were created by Iran.
Mohammad Baqeri, the chairman of the chiefs of staff of the Iranian armed forces, claimed it would not be long before Palestinian youth succeeded in liberating the Al-Aqsa Mosque from what he referred to as "the Zionist enemy." He slammed the ongoing normalization attempts between Israel and Arab nations as a "plot" to prevent the collapse of the Jewish state, saying it “could neither halt nor delay the inevitable decline of Israel".
Iran is not shy about its support for the groups. Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday, "There is no doubt that we will stand by them in realizing the aspirations of the Palestinian people and taking the necessary measures." Shahriar Heydari, the deputy chairman of the National Security Committee of the Iranian Parliament, told Didbaniran website that "the Islamic Republic provides training to Palestinian fighters, and we assist in military training." He added, "As long as the people and fighters of Palestine need the Islamic Republic, we try to meet those needs."
Iran has supported various regional militant groups over the years including Hamas, which receives around $100 million in aid each year in addition to the provision of weaponry and financial resources for its operations. Naser Kanaani, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated claims that the Palestinian group had launched the attack independently, adding that the accusations against Iran were politically motivated.