Narges Mohammadi in Interview with Radio Farda: Despite Heart Surgery, I Return to Prison on Tuesday
Narges Mohammadi, human rights activist, spokesperson and vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran, who has been summoned to return to prison despite undergoing heart surgery, said in an interview with Radio Farda that she will return to prison on Tuesday, April 23rd.
Ms. Mohammadi, who had previously told Radio Farda that the sentences issued against her have no legal validity and she will not comply with them, engaging in civil disobedience, said today in our interview: “I did not comply with such a ruling that was meant to suppress civil society and people’s fundamental freedoms, and I declared that I would engage in civil disobedience and would not return to prison. However, they sent a letter to my bail guarantor, who deposited 500 million tomans as bail, and they want to confiscate his house in two more days, while the value of the house exceeds 500 million tomans.”
She stated: “Many friends have announced that they are willing to pay 500 million tomans. Some friends even tried to openly declare it so that the bail guarantor would not be harmed, but I did not believe in this. Because even a single rial going into the pocket of any of the sentences issued against me has no legal, moral, or religious validity, and I do not recognize these sentences as legitimate.”
Narges Mohammadi was arrested on November 16, 2019, during a security force raid on a mourning ceremony at the grave of Ibrahim Ketabdar, one of those killed in the November 2019 protests. After 64 days in solitary confinement in the security ward 209 of Evin Prison, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin in late December. She came on medical leave on February 22 to undergo a coronary artery procedure.
Narges Mohammadi was transferred to prison starting April 5, 2015, to serve her sentence and was released from Zanjan Prison on September 8, 2020, using the law reducing prison sentences.
In a new case opened against her in recent months, she was sentenced to “80 lashes, 30 months of punitive imprisonment, and two separate monetary payments” on charges including “propaganda against the state,” “sit-in at the prison office,” “insubordination against prison authorities,” “breaking windows,” and “defamation” regarding allegations of torture and assault.
Narges Mohammadi was also sentenced in a five-minute trial to eight years and two months imprisonment, 74 lashes, two years exile from Tehran, two years ban from activity in institutions and parties, two years ban from presence and activity on social networks and interviews.
Source: Radio Farda
