Iran: 61 Detainees, Including Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi, Announce Hunger Strike in Protest of Execution
The hunger strike, announced by Narges Mohammadi, a journalist and activist enduring solitary confinement for years, is a reaction to the execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou
Location: Iran, Tehran
Date: January 24, 2024
The Coalition for Women in Journalism and Women Press Freedom lauds the valiant actions of 61 Iranian women journalists and activists, including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, currently detained in Tehran’s Evin prison. These courageous women have commenced a hunger strike to protest the unjust execution of political prisoners. We admire Mohammadi and others for their relentless pursuit of justice and advocacy for fellow detainees, despite the personal cost of prolonged imprisonment. Since the onset of the protests over Amini’s death, at least 44 women journalists have been arrested, with 21 released due to international pressure. However, many, including Mohammadi, remain imprisoned, facing additional charges. We strongly denounce these unjust imprisonments and call for the immediate release of all journalists and political prisoners in Iran. We reiterate our call for the international community to closely monitor this critical situation and exert diplomatic pressure to secure the release of all detained journalists and political prisoners.
In a striking act of solidarity and resistance, 61 Iranian women journalists and activists, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, have commenced a hunger strike in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. This move, announced on January 24,, is a protest against the recent execution of political prisoner Mohammad Ghobadlou, arrested during the demonstrations following Mahsa Amini's death in police custody.
Through a message relayed by her family on Twitter, Mohammadi described Ghobadlou's execution as an event that "sparked a wave of anger and protest in society." She emphasized that the hunger strike aims to "keep the names of the executed alive" and resist the fate awaiting hundreds in Iran's prisons.
Masih Alinejad — an exiled Iranian journalist and activist subjected to threats, a vicious slander campaign, and a kidnapping attempt — joined the hunger strike.
“I call on all of you, especially Western women, politicians, actresses, athletes, and celebrities who cut their hair last year in solidarity with #MahsaAmini and the women of Iran, Alineja pleads in her message. “Solidarity is beautiful, but if we don’t take action, believe me, more people who are on death row will be executed soon.”
Mohammad Ghobadlou was executed on Monday after being convicted of murdering a police officer during the 2022 countrywide protests sparked by Amini's death. Rights groups have criticized the trial, citing a lack of legal representation for Ghobadlou and gross violations of his rights during detention. His family, expecting a retrial, were shocked by the sudden execution announcement.
“Solidarity is beautiful, but if we don’t take action, believe me, more people who are on death row will be executed soon”
Iran ranks second globally for capital punishment. At least 834 people were executed in 2023, including eight people associated with the nationwide protests. On January 23, the U.N. reiterated its condemnation of Iran’s capital punishment and released a statement.
Since the protests started over Amini’s death, at least 44 women journalists were arrested, as documented by the CFWIJ. At least 21 of these women were released following outcry by the international community. Two journalists, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, were recently slapped with additional charges a day after being released on bail from Evin prison.
Mohammadi was sentenced to an additional 15 months in prison on January 16. Following her release, she will also face two years of exile, a two-year travel ban, a two-year ban on joining social-political groups, and a two-year ban on using a smartphone. These charges were brought against her for advocating human and women's rights from inside prison, including her support for the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement.
“I long to hear her voice, but I take pride in their willpower and resistance, and I pledge not to eat morning until night in support of themI long to hear her voice, but I take pride in their willpower and resistance, and I pledge not to eat morning until night in support of them”
Karim Mohammadi
Narges’s 90-year-old father, Karim Mohammadi, plans to join his daughter in this struggle for human rights. “I am prohibited from making requests and meeting her. I long to hear her voice, but I take pride in their willpower and resistance, and I pledge not to eat morning until night in support of them,” he stated on Twitter.
Narges’s father urged “each and every person in Iran” to support his daughter and other women journalists and activists standing against human rights violations in Evin, calling them to “strongly oppose the executions.”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom deeply admire the women on hunger strike, despite enduring the hardships of solitary confinement and facing numerous charges. We reiterate our continuous call on international bodies like the United Nations, European Union, and the International Criminal Court to increase pressure on the Iranian government to release journalists; and foreign ministries of various countries to intervene. We also call upon the international community to employ targeted sanctions against Iranian officials responsible for human rights violations. The time to act is now — to prevent further unjust executions and to free those who have been wrongfully detained for exercising their fundamental human rights.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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