Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi says Iranians are paying price for war, repression

Iranians are suffering as economic misery and internal repression leave “no room for people to breathe” after 1½ years of wars, Iran’s most prominent human rights activist has told The Associated Press.

Narges Mohammadi, 54, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, was temporarily released from prison for medical reasons earlier this year after falling unconscious and being transferred to a hospital.

Her memoir — titled “A Woman Never Stops Fighting” — was written behind bars, with parts of it smuggled out by fellow inmates. Editions in French, German and nine other languages are being released this month. The English and Farsi editions will be released next year.

Mohammadi said that Iranians are grappling with multiple crises stemming from the ongoing war and deepening economic pressure, and the brutal crackdowns on protests.

“I am sorry to say, but since the outbreak of war, in the past months and last year and a half, we have seen that repression in society has severely increased and now, with these economic pressures and with the repression that really has left no room for people to breathe, it’s the people who are paying an extremely heavy price,” she said.