Iranian activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi shares her story in memoir

On November 15, PEN International observed Imprisoned Writer Day, coinciding with the publication of Narges Mohammadi's memoir, A Woman Never Stops Fighting. This is the story of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate's struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights in Iran.

Mohammadi's memoir reveals the harrowing journey that shaped her into the woman she is today. Prison became her teacher as she constantly wrote while incarcerated in Iran's notorious Evin prison. However, in 2020, she was forcibly transferred to another facility, losing all her documents and having to rewrite her memoir from scratch.

Born on April 21, 1972, in Zanjan, Iran, Mohammadi became politically active during her studies in physics at Imam Khomeini University of Qazvin. Her activism took various forms, including organizing mixed-gender groups for mountaineering, founding an independent student organization, and advocating for political reform. These efforts led to frequent harassment and arrests by authorities.

The memoir details Mohammadi's arrest in front of her young children in 2011, the physical and psychological torture she endured, and the denial of medical care and the right to call her children. She also highlights the psychological effects of solitary confinement and the brutal treatment she faced in prison.

In 2023, Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her efforts to promote human rights and freedom for all. However, despite her international recognition, she remained imprisoned in Tehran's Evin Prison, where her teenage twins delivered the award to her on her behalf.