Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi's Trial Held in Her Absence

The court convened on Saturday to address the new charges of “propaganda against the state” brought upon Mohammadi because of her statements on sexual harassment and assault on Dina Ghalibaf and boycotting parliament elections held in March according to her lawyer Mostafa Nili.

Nili announced on X that he attended the court session as Mohammadi’s lawyer defending her case without her presence.

Mohammadi's Instagram page also published a post stating that she did not go to court and that her trial session was held without her.

Last week, it was announced on her Instagram page that she would not be attending the court session and an online petition was started demanding a public trial.

When the new charges were first announced in May, Mohammadi announced that she would only attend the court if the session was held in a public trial.

“You are obligated to hold a public trial with the presence of independent journalists, women's rights activists, human rights advocates, and my lawyers. I wish to be prosecuted in court with the testimony of witnesses of the sexual assaults committed by the Islamic Republic regime against women,” Mohammadi stated in a message sent from prison published on her Instagram page.

Her demand for a public trial was supported by 36 female political and ideological prisoners at Evin prison.

Before this, Mohammadi had faced three court trials for recounting incidents of sexual harassment and assault against detainees. Saturday’s court session marks her fourth trial for speaking out against such violence.

In April Iranian student and journalist, Dina Ghalbaf disclosed on X that she had been sexually assaulted by morality police officers during her arrest over alleged non-compliance of mandatory hijab laws at Sadeghiyeh metro station in Tehran.

Following this disclosal Ghalibaf was arrested and detained at Evin prison. Media affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, Mizan News denied Ghalibaf’s claims of sexual assault. Days after Ghalibaf’s detainment, in a message sent from Evin prison Mohammadi supported Ghalibaf’s claims and condemned the sexual assault against her.

As pointed out by Mohammadi’s lawyer the new charge brought against her additionally relates to her statements on Iran’s legislative elections held in March.

In February this year, Mohammadi called for a boycott of the March 2024 legislative elections, asserting that the elections were illegitimate and deserved both national sanctions and global condemnation.

Following Saturday's court session, Ghalibaf who was recently released from Evin prison took to social media to write in support of Mohammadi, adding that she had demanded for CCTV footage to be released.

Sharing a photo of her hand showing bruises caused by the violence she endured during her arrest, Ghalibaf wrote:

“Today is my birthday. I don't like this birthday and I can't celebrate it because on the very same day Narges Mohammadi was tried for publishing an audio file of what happened to me inside the Sadeghieh metro police station,” Ghalibaf stated.

Ghalibaf continued: “In all my statements, I have referred to the videos inside the Sadeghieh Metro Police Station and have repeatedly asked for videos to be shown that strongly documented my statements. I even identified the perpetrating agent in the video.”

Additionally, on Saturday, formerly jailed scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi condemned Iran’s judiciary for prosecuting Mohammadi and demanded that instead of Mohammadi, the perpetrators of sexual violence should be prosecuted instead.

“When Dina Ghalibaf was brought to the women's ward at Evin, I was there. I heard her statements among other prisoners. She spoke of the behavior of the officer who arrested her. I also spoke with her individually and asked her about a few things. I urge that officer and others like him be prosecuted, rather than Narges Mohammadi, who raised her voice in objection,” Vasmaghi stated in an Instagram post.