Children of Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Defend Her Activism Amid the Pain of Separation

The children of Nobel Prize-winning Iranian Narges Mohammadi have paid a moving tribute to their mother after she revealed in a new autobiography that she was afraid of dying without ever seeing them again.

Ms Mohammadi's teenage son Ali Rahmani stated that it was not up to his mother to feel bad, placing the blame squarely on the Iranian regime. He spoke at a launch event for activist Ms Mohammadi's book, A Woman Never Stops Fighting, held in France.

“It is not up to my mother to blame herself for not having been present, or to regret the times she was away, or to wonder if it was her fault. The one responsible is the Iranian regime,” said Mr Rahmani, 19, who lives in Paris. “They are the ones who tear families apart - who hurt mothers and children, and fathers too - who destroy and kill.”

“When I heard my mother say how terribly guilty she felt and apologise to us for those months and years of absence, it hurt me deeply - even though I was also glad, because it showed her love,” he added.

His twin sister, Kiana Rahmani, noted that their mother had not been able to leave Iran since 2009 and does not possess a passport. “I am proud of her, and we want to tell her, 'We are proud of you,'” she said.

Ms Mohammadi, 54, was released from prison in May on health grounds after her most recent arrest late last year. She has spent more than a decade in prison for her activism advocating for women's rights and opposing the death penalty. Her children accepted her Nobel Prize in 2023 on her behalf.

Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Jorgen Frydnes told The National that he had spoken to Ms Mohammadi several hours before the event in Paris and that she sounded motivated and enthusiastic. “But that always goes with the seriousness of the situation. She is not well medically. She is coping with heart disease,” he said.

Her French editor, Robert Laffont, remarked that honouring her work held “particular significance”. Editorial assistant Ines Vandenbergen added: “It reminds us all that we must never stop fighting for our rights and our freedom, and that the most powerful weapon is the spoken word.”

In a recorded message broadcast at the event, which took place at La Maison de la Poesie, Ms Mohammadi stated that the notes forming her book had been smuggled out of Iran over several years. Addressing her children, she wrote that she hoped they would find it in their hearts to forgive her for her “physical absence and whatever hardships may still lie on the way ahead”.

Within the book, Ms Mohammadi recounts chastising herself in detention for being a “bad mother” and discusses how her motherhood was weaponised against her. Iranian activist Taghi Rahmani, husband of Narges Mohammadi, lives in Paris with their children and noted that his wife would likely be sent back to prison despite her medical condition.