France on Thursday called for the release of Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, who is a strong critic of the death penalty in her country and was detained on November 16, according to Paris. The French Foreign Ministry confirmed that Mohammadi, the spokesperson for the Human Rights Defenders Center founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, is a "figure in the defense of basic freedoms" in her country. A spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry stated that "her (Mohammadi's) activities, particularly for the abolition of the death penalty and combating violence against women, have led to her receiving several prison sentences and unacceptable physical punishments."
Mohammadi was released in October 2020 after five years in prison, but was sentenced again in May to 80 lashes and 30 months in prison on charges of "propaganda against the Iranian political system," "defamation," and "rebellion" against prison authority. She is being pursued for publishing a statement against the death penalty and organizing a sit-in while in Evin Prison in Tehran. According to the reformist newspaper Etemad, the activist, who is also a journalist, stated that she faced "beatings and harassment" in Evin Prison. The international human rights organization "Reporters Without Borders" reported that Mohammadi was "forcibly" transferred from Evin Prison to Zanjan Prison (northwest). France called on Iran to "respect its international commitments" in the field of human rights, "especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
