Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has declared that women will be the force that ultimately topples Iran’s Islamic republic, even if the regime survives military conflicts.
In a powerful message shared on International Women’s Day, Mohammadi—who has long been a symbol of resistance against Iran’s strict laws—stated that women have risen up in a way that the authorities can no longer suppress.
“I am convinced that if the Islamic republic survives any war, it will not survive resistance from women,” she said.
The 52-year-old activist, awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for human rights, is currently on temporary medical release from prison. However, her lawyers fear she could be sent back at any time.
Even while imprisoned, Mohammadi was a vocal supporter of the 2022-2023 protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian-Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly violating strict dress codes. The nationwide uprising, despite being brutally suppressed, remains a powerful symbol of defiance.
In her message, Mohammadi appeared without the mandatory headscarf and condemned the regime’s “gender apartheid,” calling for women to continue leading the charge against religious tyranny.
She also paid tribute to three women—Sharifeh Mohammadi, Verisheh Moradi, and Pakhshan Azizi—who have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the protests. She denounced the verdicts as acts of revenge by the authorities.
“The glass vessel that holds the life of the Islamic republic will be smashed by women,” she declared.
