Activist Narges Mohammadi reports threats of ‘elimination’ by Iran

Human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been threatened with “physical elimination” by Iran, according to a statement from the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Ms Mohammadi, an Iranian, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for work including tackling oppression of women in the Middle Eastern country.

She told the committee she had received warnings from “agents of the regime” through indirect channels and her lawyers. Chair Jorgen Watne Frydn said he was “alarmed” and had concerns about threats to “all Iranian citizens with a critical voice”.

The Iranian foreign ministry has not commented on the statement.

“The threats conveyed to Ms Mohammadi make it clear that her security is at stake, unless she commits to end all public engagement within Iran, as well as any international advocacy or media appearances in support of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression,” the Nobel committee’s statement added.

Ms Mohammadi became a Nobel laureate while serving a 10-year jail sentence in Iran’s Evin prison, where she had been held since 2021 – her children accepted the award on her behalf.

At the time, the committee deemed her fight against the oppression of women in Iran had come at a “tremendous personal cost”.

In total, she has been arrested by the Iranian regime 13 times, convicted five times and sentenced to more than 30 years in prison, according to her foundation.

In December 2024, Ms Mohammadi was given a temporary release on medical grounds.

Reports by Western intelligence agencies in recent years have found evidence of a dramatic escalation in plots by the Iranian regime to kidnap or assassinate dissidents, journalists and political foes abroad.

On Thursday, the UK warned of a “rising” and unpredictable threat from Iran.

The government’s intelligence and security committee published details of an inquiry into Iranian state assassinations and kidnap, espionage, cyber attacks and its nuclear programme based on evidence up to August 2023.

It outlined a “sharp increase” in physical threats against opponents of Iran’s regime in the UK.

The Iranian embassy in London rejected the report’s findings.