Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi called on France's Senate to support the criminalization of gender apartheid and prioritize the fight for human and women's rights in Iran in a video call from Tehran on Thursday.
"Fighting gender apartheid is not merely a struggle for women’s liberation from systemic oppression; it is an essential step toward achieving democracy, peace, and justice. One cannot oppress and enslave half of society while speaking of democracy, freedom, and equality," Mohammadi said during her speech to the Delegation for Women’s Rights of the French Senate and National Assembly.
Released on medical leave on December 4, the prominent human rights activist was due to return to prison on December 25. Her lawyer requested an extension which was supported by medical evaluations, but the decision remains pending.
In her address, Mohammadi raised concerns about the rise in executions in Iran, including those targeting women political prisoners. She highlighted the cases of Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi, detained in Evin Prison and facing execution.
"The Iranian regime is exacting revenge on women for the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement. Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi… now face the looming threat of execution. The regime wields the noose as a tool of terror to break the resolve of Iran’s brave and conscientious women," Mohammadi said.
Varishe Moradi was sentenced to death in November by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "armed rebellion." Pakhshan Azizi received the same sentence in July.
Mohammadi urged the international community, including the French Parliament and Senate, to adopt a firm stance on human rights in dealings with the Iranian government.
"Make human rights a prerequisite and the central focus of all negotiations. Any negotiations that sideline fundamental human rights, women’s rights, and civil liberties risk emboldening religious authoritarianism and undermining the Iranian people’s efforts for democracy, freedom, and equality," she added.
The activist has spent over a decade in prison and has been sentenced to 36 years, 154 lashes, and 135 days in solitary confinement.
Her human rights advocacy has earned her international accolades, including the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, UNESCO's Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, and the Courage Award from Reporters Without Borders.
The United Nations human rights office reported in January that Iran in 2024 executed 901 people, including 31 women, marking a sharp rise in capital punishment cases.
"To stop the ever-increasing executions and to achieve human rights and women's rights, put pressure on the Islamic Republic," she said as last year's tally was a record high for decades.
Calling on international support, she added: "Prioritize international mechanisms such as universal jurisdiction to hold regime officials accountable, rather than normalizing a regime responsible for crimes against humanity."