Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who was detained by Iranian authorities in December, suffered “severe beatings“ while being held in prison, her foundation said.
Mohammadi was “forcibly detained“ by security forces and police on December 12, the foundation said at the time. Two days later, she reported that she had been “subjected to physical abuse - including severe beatings to the head and neck with batons - and threats of further violence“, the foundation said in a statement released today.
Mohammadi has been “deprived of her right to a lawyer and regular family contact”, according to the statement. In her only phone call since her detention, she said authorities were trying to fabricate a case against her, "accompanied by threats like 'we will dress your mother in mourning,'" the foundation said.
“Narges Mohammadi has long been a staunch voice for human rights, calling for an end to religious tyranny and emphasizing that freedom, democracy and equality can only be achieved through the active will and participation of the people,“ the foundation said in a statement.
If she had not been detained, Mohammadi "would have been with the people, amplifying their voices and calling for an end to the theocratic regime," she continued.
“In her absence, the “Narges“ Foundation is with those who dared to stand up to repression and turned the streets into arenas of struggle for freedom. We stand with families who have lost loved ones, detainees, held in solitary confinement, injured protesters who have been denied safe medical care, and all who demand the right to safety, freedom, justice, and a better future," the statement said.