PRESS CONFERENCE AND DIALOGUE WITH HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER NARGES MOHAMMADI

Narges is a distinguished Iranian human rights defender, a supporter of the anti-death penalty campaign Legam (Step by Step to Abolish the Death Penalty) and deputy chair of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders in Iran.

In a 24 May post on her Instagram account, Narges Mohammadi wrote that she has been sentenced to a prison term, flogging and fines in relation to her peaceful human rights activities while she was previously unjustly jailed. Branch 1188 of Criminal Court Two in Tehran sentenced her to two-and-a-half years in prison, 80 lashes and two separate fines for charges that include “spreading propaganda against the system”. In the Instagram post, Narges Mohammadi wrote that, on 23 May, the court had issued the verdict to her for “offences” that included participating in a sit-in with other prisoners in the women’s ward of Tehran’s Evin prison between 21 and 24 December 2019 to protest the killings of protesters during the November 2019 nationwide protests, issuing statements condemning the death penalty and speaking out publicly about how prison, security and judicial officials subjected her to torture and other ill-treatment during and shortly after her peaceful sit-in.

Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately quash human rights defender Narges Mohammadi’s conviction and sentence, which is based solely on her peacefully exercising her rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

Listen to what Narges Mohammadi has to say about the verdict, and her continuous fight for human rights in Iran.

The press conference is moderated by journalist, author and Middle Eastern analyst Bitte Hammargren.

When: Monday 31 May

Time: 17:00

Where: Clubhouse, link: https://www.clubhouse.com/event/xqjDb3BD

The conversation will be held in English and the event is arranged by Baran publisher, Amnesty International Sweden, Swedish Pen, Norweigan Pen and Danish Pen.