Narges Mohammadi The Nobel Peace Prize winner tells Angelina Jolie about life in an Iranian prison, the roots of the protest movement, and what gives her hope
When you think of your childhood, is there anything that would help us imagine the life of an Iranian family? In Iran, family relationships are not only strong among close relatives but also with the extended family members. My mother’s family was politically active and engaged. In the 1979 revolution, a significant portion of my mother’s family and some members of my father’s family were among those imprisoned and executed. These events directly linked the world of my childhood to the world of struggle and resistance.
Are there things about being an Iranian woman that people might not know? My mother refrained from even wearing black socks, let alone dresses. She wore lively and colorful clothing. The religious government forced us, as children of that happy mother, to wear dark and black overcoats, trousers, and headscarves. The values of Iranian families were different from the values promoted by the government. The history of my land is the tale of the struggles of freedom-seeking and tradition-breaking women, which has continued till the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement of today.
How do you keep [your fellow prisoners] going in such difficult circumstances?In total, since 2012, I have been imprisoned alongside more than 800 fellow cellmates. Having a political female prisoner alongside women with charges of murder, robbery, and drug trafficking can be quite challenging. From the outside, it even seemed impossible for us to coexist. But life, with all its beauties and nuances, continued inside the walls and bars. Although different political orientations and conflicting ideologies can lead to discord, we, by emphasizing our commonalities, made life there more vivid.
Are you able to speak to your family?Since the birth of [my twins] Ali and Kiana, I have been detained three times. I think suffering my detentions in front of the eyes of my children, enduring solitary cells while not seeing their faces and not hearing their voices, was unbearable beyond any word, logic, or belief. All these years, the dream of freedom and equality in my homeland, and the realization of human rights and democracy in my society, have given meaning to this suffering for me. Now my drea
