United Nations urges Iran to free Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi

The United Nations on Friday (Oct 6)urged Iran to free Narges Mohammadi, moments after the jailed activist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Mohammadi, 51, is a journalist-activist who spent much of past 20 years in and out of jail for campaigning against mandatory dress code for women and the death penalty.

"The women of Iran have been an inspiration for the world," news agency AFP quoted the UN human rights office as saying.

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"Their courage and determination in the face of reprisals, intimidation, violence and detention has been remarkable. They have been harassed for what they wear and what they do not wear, and face increasingly stringent legal, social and economic measures against them."

"Narges Mohammadi's case is emblematic of the huge risks that women take to advocate for the rights of all Iranians. We call for her release and the release of all human rights defenders jailed in Iran."

Human rights office spokeswoman Elizabeth Throssell at a press briefing in Geneva said that the Nobel award for Mohammadi "really highlights the courage and determination of the women of Iran and how they are an inspiration".

UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci said respect for women's rights had always been an "extremely important point" for the United Nations.

"We stand for the rights of women around the world, including in Iran," she told the briefing.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "has been very clear in his defence in the human rights of women and girls in Iran", she added.

Mohammadi still in prison

Mohammadi has been detained by the Iranian regime on 13 occasions, received convictions on five occasions, and faced a cumulative sentence of 31 years in prison, along with 154 lashings.

Earlier this year, she was among the three imprisoned Iranian journalists who were honoured with the United Nations' World Press Freedom Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday (Oct 6) said, "This year’s peace prize also recognises the hundreds of thousands of people who have demonstrated against the theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women."

(With inputs from agencies)

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