Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi says Iranians are paying the price for war

Iranians are enduring immense suffering due to economic hardship and internal repression, leaving "no room for people to breathe," according to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. The prominent human rights activist told The Associated Press that the country's population is paying a heavy price for ongoing conflicts and U.S. sanctions.

Mohammadi, 54, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, was temporarily released from prison earlier this year for medical reasons after experiencing a health crisis. Her memoir, "A Woman Never Stops Fighting," was written during her incarceration and parts were smuggled out by fellow inmates. Editions in several languages are being released this month, with English and Farsi versions scheduled for next year.

In an interview conducted Friday from outside Iran, Mohammadi stated that Iranians are contending with multiple crises stemming from protracted conflicts and deepening economic pressures. "It’s the people who are paying an extremely heavy price," she said.

Despite the hardships, Mohammadi observed that many Iranians continue to resist their government, a sentiment she traces back to the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. The release of Mohammadi's book coincides with the anniversary of Amini's death, a move intended to honor her memory, according to her representatives.

"If you go out into the streets, you see a wave of resistance among the people, a wave of awareness, and their determination to stand up for their rights," Mohammadi said. She noted an intensification of government repression but highlighted that a younger generation is increasingly aware of their rights and remains steadfast, which she described as a reason for hope.

Due to safety concerns, specific questions about Iran's political situation and leadership were not asked. However, Mohammadi spoke generally about the consequences of war.

Mohammadi, who has faced repeated arrests over decades of human rights advocacy and was imprisoned when she received the Nobel Prize, recounted her recent detention. She stated she was severely beaten by security forces in December in Mashhad while attending a memorial ceremony. She was subsequently sentenced to 16 years and more than 100 lashes for participating in the event, though the flogging has not been carried out. She spent extended periods in solitary confinement.

"My detention was really life-threatening," she said. "My head was severely hurt because most of the hits were to my head, and despite being in that condition, they kept me for two months in solitary confinement during which my condition was really concerning."

She lost consciousness on May 1 and was hospitalized. She was released on bail nearly 10 days later and remained in a Tehran hospital for another two weeks.

Mohammadi managed to smuggle out fragments of her memoir, which she began writing in 2019. "With the help of fellow inmates, we got a few pages out, a few pages at a time," she said. "If it weren’t for them, I couldn’t have done it."

Regarding her health, Mohammadi stated, "I am recovering."

She drew inspiration from the stories of other women, including her own mother, noting, "I tried to put an image to each of these — how these women really managed to change their world, their society, themselves, the next generation — make them aware, make them resist."

Mohammadi also recalled "terrifying memories" from her childhood during the 1980s Iran-Iraq War and expressed a "hatred for war." She remembered "a lot of the repression, repression of many political currents and forces, many executions that happened in the silence and darkness of Evin and prisons around the country."

She expressed concern upon learning that Iran's Evin prison had been bombed during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in 2025, a period when she was not incarcerated. "At that moment, I felt that, in this country, we are at the intersection of injustice, discrimination, war, authoritarianism," she said. "All of those are trampling on our people’s human rights."

Mohammadi faces cumulative sentences totaling 44 years and has already served 10 years in prison, including 161 days in solitary confinement. Since 2009, she has been banned from traveling abroad and is separated from her husband and two children who live in exile in France. Her current sentence is suspended, and she is required to return to prison if ordered by the judiciary.