This event brings together women human rights defenders who live at the intersections of gender, climate and conflict and whose stories show that these issues need to be tackled in a coordinated, holistic way. On 24 September 2026; 1:00PM – 2:00PM CEST. Address: Room XI, Palais des Nations.
The climate crisis and conflicts are often addressed as separate global issues, however, these crises are deeply interconnected, as both are driven by the same extractive and political dynamics. Climate change compounds existing social and economic inequalities, including gender inequalities, intensifying pressures on natural resources and communities, and contributing to displacement, poverty and insecurity. At the same time, conflicts can destroy ecosystems and livelihoods, and leave communities less able to endure climate change impacts. Human rights defenders often work in contexts where environmental degradation, resource extraction, land dispossession and violence are deeply intertwined, shaped by political and economic interests that determine who controls resources, who benefits from their exploitation, and who bears the costs. In these contexts, violence and conflict become tools for maintaining unequal systems of power and access to land and natural resources, placing those who challenge them at particular risk.
Despite the accumulated risks, women defenders continue to organise and protect their communities and the environment in the face of extreme violence, war and State and non-State armed groups.
On the occasion of the WHRD Advocacy Week organised by ISHR and partners, women human rights defenders whose stories embody these struggles – from defending the rights of fisherwomen in West Papua, to protecting the rivers of Serbia, or the wetlands in Mexico – have gathered in Geneva. These women live at the intersections of gender, climate and conflict and show us they cannot be tackled separately. [https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/09/21/from-21-to-25-september-women-human-rights-advocacy-week-in-geneva/]
With more armed conflicts raging worldwide than ever, and the climate crisis churning out natural disasters and extreme weather events with increasing frequency, learning the lessons from the work of these women human rights defenders has never been more urgent.
Speakers:
Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Women human rights defenders from Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific
Moderation: International Service for Human Rights
Interpretation in English, French and Spanish.
This event is co-organised by Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), WHRD Middle East and North Africa Coalition (WHRD MENA Coalition), Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC), Peace Brigades International (PBI), the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism (UAF), and Asia Pacific Forum on Women (APWLD).
On 15 September 2026 several NGOs issued a joint Statement on this case:
Journalist and #MeToo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin is due to be released on 18 September after serving an unjust five-year prison sentence. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, together with other organisations, call on the Chinese authorities to ensure her immediate release and guarantee that, once released, she can carry out her journalism and human rights work without surveillance, harassment, retaliation or other restrictions.
Sophia Huang Xueqin is widely recognised for her work on human rights and commitment to press freedom. She is a journalist and one of the most prominent figures associated with China’s #MeToo movement. For years, she reported on and advocated for gender equality and supported survivors of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
In September 2021, Sophia was preparing to start graduate studies in the UK. However, she and a friend, human and labour rights activist Wang Jianbing, were arrested in Guangzhou, China on 19 September, and detained incommunicado for more than five months. While in detention, both Sophia and Jianbing were reportedly subjected to ill-treatment, with negative impacts on their health.
During their trial in September 2023, the prosecution focused on their role in co-organising weekly gatherings with fellow activists, as well as their participation in an online course on non-violence and online posts they had published or shared on issues deemed “sensitive” by the Chinese government.
Their convictions in June 2024 for “inciting subversion of state power” were based solely on the permissible exercise of their human rights, including the rights to freedom of the press and expression as well as association. Their case is emblematic of the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on journalists, human rights defenders, feminist activists and civil society voices calling for social justice and respect for human rights.
Wang, who was sentenced to three and a half years, was released in March 2025.
While Sophia Huang Xueqin is expected to be released on 18 September, we are concerned that she will face restrictions after leaving prison. She was subject to a “supplemental sentence” of four years’ deprivation of political rights, a punishment that is routinely imposed on human rights defenders and journalists to restrict their ability to speak, publish and organise long after their prison terms end. The legal provisions permitting this punishment are incompatible with international human rights standards, not to mention the fact that no one should be punished simply for exercising their human rights.
We call on the Chinese authorities to:
Ensure Sophia Huang Xueqin is released immediately and is not subjected to any further arbitrary detention and allowed to move freely; Guarantee her rights to freedom of expression, press, association and peaceful assembly, alongside her right to participate in public life, including her ability to communicate freely with family, friends, supporters and civil society groups; Ensure she is not subjected to surveillance, harassment, intimidation, retaliation or restrictions on her movement and communications; and Amend domestic laws, notably the Criminal Law, to ensure their compliance with international law and standards, and prevent the misuse of legal provisions to restrict the rights of human rights defenders and others.
When did you feel truly free again after your release?
It has been almost five months since my release, but I still have not truly felt free. I suppose freedom is a very complex and multifaceted thing. Even though I am physically free, I do not have that feeling of freedom inside me. For me, freedom is still the sum of all freedoms. And as long as people remain imprisoned, as long as repression continues in Belarus, I cannot feel free.
There is also the factor of transnational repression. There are things that stop you at a certain point. You understand that the price of any word or action can be very high, because families, loved ones, relatives and friends remain in Belarus. And this matters enormously, because it is another reason you do not feel free. You carry responsibility for so many things: not only for your loved ones, but also for those people who remain in Belarus and are in prison.
I think I will only feel free in Belarus, when the repression ends, when all political prisoners are released, and when I am surrounded by my family and friends. That is when I will finally breathe out and feel truly free.
How difficult was it for you to leave Belarus? Do you hope to return?
It was very difficult for me to leave Belarus. I would even say that for me it was a harder blow than accepting a 15-year prison sentence. At that particular moment, at that point in time and space, it was incredibly difficult. I reacted even more emotionally than I did to my sentence…..
So I believe and hope that the Universe will eventually say, “All right, that’s enough. You can breathe now. It is over. We are going home.”
Why do you continue to fight for human rights?
I continue to fight for human rights because it is already part of me, part of who I am. Wherever I am, whatever the circumstances, it just switches on naturally inside me. I do not need to direct myself somehow or force myself to do something. I do not even think about it. It is simply who I am…..
It simply cannot be any other way. It is a natural way of living, and it does not stop. You do not stop being a human rights defender, wherever you are. And now, when I see how difficult the situation is in the world and in our region, how deep the human rights crisis has become, when we are already talking about the most basic things, the unconditional right to life and the right not to be tortured… watching this regression, you realise that standing aside is simply not an option.
What gives you hope for the future?
What gives me hope for the future are moments of humanity, empathy, interaction and mutual understanding. And what impresses me most is seeing these qualities in people from whom I did not even expect them. It gives you such a powerful surge of energy, because you realise that in many people there is still a bright spark, a spark of kindness. Sometimes it is hidden or buried very deep, but it is there.
The selection panel of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize has nnounced the shortlist for the 2026 award. Meeting in Prague, the panel – made up of independent figures from the world of human rights and chaired by Petra Bayr, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) – decided to shortlist, in alphabetical order, the following three nominees:
Masih Alinejad is an Iranian‑American journalist, author and women’s rights activist who has become one of the most prominent voices of the Iranian opposition in exile. She launched the “My stealthy freedom” campaign against compulsory hijab laws, which grew into a global movement supporting the “Women, life, freedom” protests. She co‑founded the World Liberty Congress and United against gender apartheid and has been recognised with multiple international awards. Her work has helped draw global attention to the repression of women and journalists in Iran, highlighting the crucial role of independent voices in defending human rights and democratic freedoms.
Márta Pardavi is a Hungarian human rights lawyer and co‑chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a leading organisation defending the rights of asylum‑seekers, refugees and other foreigners in need of international protection. She has long monitored the human rights performance of law enforcement and the judiciary and spoken out against laws which shrink the space for civil society and restrict NGO funding in Hungary. Through decades of advocacy and legal action, she has helped protect vulnerable people at Europe’s borders and uphold the rule of law in the face of growing pressures.
Nasrin Sotoudeh is a leading human rights lawyer in Iran who has represented activists, journalists, minorities and children facing execution, while campaigning against compulsory hijab laws and the death penalty, despite repeated arrests, lengthy imprisonment and severe personal risk. She was again arrested in April 2026 and released on bail in May 2026, amid ongoing concerns about her safety and the broader crackdown on independent lawyers and human rights defenders. Her steadfast commitment to justice, even under harsh state repression, has made her a symbol of courage and resilience for human rights defenders and pro‑democracy movements in Iran and beyond.
Women human rights and environmental defenders face escalating repression simply because of their gender and need stronger international protections to continue their work, Right Livelihood Laureates warned at a United Nations side event last week.
The event, organised by Right Livelihood as part of the Women Laureates Hub and Exile Project programmes during the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, brought together Laureates and international experts to examine the specific threats and challenges faced by women activists solely because of their gender.
“Gender apartheid” in Afghanistan
“Human rights defenders in general are the core or the most important element of a democratic society,” said Dr Sima Samar, a 2012 Laureate and former Minister for Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan. “Among them, women human rights defenders are the main ingredient of democracy. We cannot say that ‘There’s democracy, but women should be at home,’ like the Taliban does in Afghanistan.” In her country, a total of 160 laws, decrees and orders have been passed to suppress women’s rights. Those include a ban on women working outside the home and on girls receiving an education beyond 6th grade.
“It is a crime against humanity – that is why we call it gender apartheid,” Samar said, calling for the codification of gender apartheid in the Convention on Crimes Against Humanity. She also warned that some European countries are beginning to normalise the Taliban’s restrictions by framing them as cultural or religious practices. “It’s not our religion, it’s not our culture,” Samar said. “Please, do not use the excuse of respecting the culture and religion in Afghanistan.”
Women environmental defenders also face heightened risks compared to their male counterparts, warned Diana Nabiruma, Programmes and Communications Manager at 2022 Laureate organisation Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO).
“In Uganda today, unfortunately, what we see is that laws are used to repress not only environmental and human rights defenders but women in particular,” Nabiruma said. Uganda currently has five laws restricting civic freedoms and activist work, including a recently passed law on foreign funding.
Nabiruma has observed stark differences in how men and women environmental defenders are treated, especially by authorities. “Women do not speak up; women are more repressed than men are,” she said. “When they protest, they are asked, ‘Who will marry you? You’re a terrible person!’ There’s a lot of anti-gender rhetoric, which forces women to become silenced, so they don’t demand their rights to be protected.”
A “problem for democracy,” not just for women
Eva Zillen, Senior Adviser at the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, a Swedish organisation that received the 2002 Right Livelihood Award, said that their 2026 report on the situation of women and queer rights activists in conflict-affected countries confirmed many of the trends her fellow Laureates were witnessing on the ground. One striking finding: for the first time since 2008, fewer activists reported feeling threatened. This isn’t progress, the organisation said, just an indication that digital hate speech has become so normalised that it’s no longer recognised as a threat. “A lot of activists are withdrawing: self-silencing has become a form of self-protection, and they are leaving social media,” Zillen said. “This is not a problem for the women’s movement; this is a problem for democracy.”
The report identified governments and state authorities as the leading source of threats against women human rights defenders, alongside traditional and community leaders, religious actors and anti-gender movements. “These four are working together, and they are using the anti-gender narrative,” Zillen said. “It has to do with gaining power or sustaining power, and this is a narrative that has proven to be very successful.”
Olivia Ekobe, Human Rights Officer at the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), said her organisation documented over 60 cases of women human rights defenders facing risks last year alone, underscoring the need for gender-sensitive monitoring.
Ekobe outlined three recommendations: civil society organisations must increase visibility around the criminalisation of women human rights defenders and the protections available to them; states must end this criminalisation and adopt adequate legal frameworks; and donors must increase funding for women-led local organisations. “We have a responsibility to help create an environment where women HRDs can carry out their work without fear,” she added.
The side event was held as the culmination of a week-long workshop in Geneva for women Right Livelihood Laureates and fellows of the Exile Project, a programme in collaboration with the Global Campus of Human Rights.
The recommendations include practical actions that states can take to protect women human rights defenders and provide guidance on how to engage with other states on the matter.
On 4 May 2026 the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) remembered eight women organizers from the region who fought for a better region and in whose stories we find inspiration:
Lina Ben Mhenni
“I am the activist of all causes.”Lina Ben Mhenni was a Tunisian blogger, educator, and activist whose voice rose to prominence as Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution unfolded. Born in Tunis in 1983 and raised in a politically engaged family, she used her blog A Tunisian Girl to document censorship, women’s rights, and state repression well before the revolution began. When protests erupted after Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation in December 2010, she became a leading voice reporting from inside the country. Traveling to Sidi Bouzid, Kasserine, and Regueb, she documented police brutality, sharing photos and testimonies online despite a strict media blackout. After the revolution, she continued advocating for human rights, freedom of expression, and justice for victims and their families. She also launched initiatives to support prison libraries, delivering over 45,000 books across Tunisia. Recognized internationally, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. She passed away in 2020 at the age of 36 after a long battle with lupus. [see also https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2020/01/29/in-memory-of-tunisian-human-rights-defender-lina-ben-mhenni/]
Sarah Hegazi
Sarah Hegazi was an Egyptian queer feminist and human rights defender. As a member of the Bread and Freedom Party in Egypt, she advocated for political prisoners, opposed the death penalty, and supported movements for freedom across the MENA region, including in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Sudan. Her activism was intersectional, grounded in class struggle and solidarity. In 2017, she raised a rainbow flag at a Mashrou’ Leila concert in Cairo—an act that made her a target for state repression. As part of the anti-LGBTQI+ crackdown that followed, Sarah was arrested, detained, and subjected to torture. Sarah was fired from her job and experienced severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Out of fear for her safety amid continued targeting, bullying, and repression, Sarah was forced to flee Egypt in 2018. She traveled to Canada where she sought political asylum. While living in exile apart from her loved ones, and the country and community most dear to her, Sarah took her life on June 13, 2020. She was 30 years old.
Bahjaa Abdelaa Abdelaa
Bahjaa Abdelaa Abdelaa was a Sudanese human rights defender who worked tirelessly in support of Sudanese women. Born in Nyala, South Darfur, she was also an economist who graduated from the University of Khartoum in 2020. She was a member of the Women Revolutionary Group, which was created to advocate for women’s rights, gender equality, and social justice, as well as to support survivors of rape and sexual violence in Darfur. Bahjaa became known for her monitoring and documentation work, highlighting the pervasiveness of sexual violence during conflict. She was also part of the Darfur Collation of Women Human Rights Defenders (TMD). As the war raged in Sudan, and after receiving death threats due to her human rights work, on October 26, 2023, Bahjaa was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen while attending a relative’s funeral at Kalma camp for internally displaced people in Nyala. She was 26 years old.
Giselle Khoury
Known as the “grande dame of Arab journalism” for her pointed interview style, Giselle Khoury was a Lebanese journalist and television personality whose career spanned almost four decades, defined by her commitment to freedom of expression and pluralism. She began at LBC in 1985, later joined MBC, and also contributed to the launch of Al-Arabiya. She became known for hosting major political programs such as Bil Arabi and Studio Beirut, where she interviewed leading political figures from across the region. Her work continued with BBC Arabic and Sky News Arabia. As one of the first women Arab journalists to host such high-profile programs, she helped reshape the media landscape. After the 2005 assassination of her husband, journalist Samir Kassir, she co-founded the Samir Kassir Foundation to support independent journalism, monitor press freedom, and nurture new generations of media professionals. She passed away in October 2023 at the age of 62 after a battle with cancer.
Bassma Kodmani
Bassma Kodmani was a Syrian academic, advocate, and political figure, whose career bridged research, policy, and activism. She co-founded the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), a collaborative think tank “to articulate a home-grown agenda for democratic change in the Arab region,” serving as Executive Director from 2005 to 2019. When Syrians peacefully took to the streets in 2011, Bassma took a temporary leave from ARI to serve as Head of Foreign Relations and spokesperson with the Syrian National Council, the opposition body organizing for a democratic alternative at the time, until her resignation in 2012. In 2016, she participated in the Geneva peace talks as part of the delegation of the democratic opposition. Holding a PhD from Sciences Po, Bassma authored and edited multiple works on Middle Eastern politics and conflict and was a renowned political thinker. Her vision for a Syria that embraces the equal participation of all Syrians is one that continues to inspire younger scholars today. She died of breast cancer at the age of 64.
Shireen Abu Akleh
“I chose journalism to be close to people. It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I can bring their voices to the world.” Shireen Abu Akleh was a Palestinian-American journalist and one of the most recognizable voices in the Arab world. Born in Jerusalem in 1971, she spent over 25 years covering the realities of life under Israeli occupation. After studying journalism at Yarmouk University, she began at Voice of Palestine radio and Radio Monte Carlo before joining Al Jazeera in 1997. At a time when few Palestinian women worked as field reporters, she became a leading correspondent. She rose to prominence during the second intifada in 2000, reporting from the ground and centering the lived experiences of Palestinians—from political prisoners to families affected by displacement and violence. On May 11, 2022, Shireen was shot and killed in a targeted attack by Israeli Defense Forces, while wearing a press vest and while covering a raid in Jenin. Her funeral, which was attacked by Israeli police forces, drew hundreds of mourners and widespread solidarity.
Salwa Bugaighis
Salwa Bugaighis was a Libyan lawyer, human rights advocate, and political figure. She was active in the 2011 Libyan Revolution, which ultimately overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. Based in Benghazi, she built her career defending political prisoners and advocating for justice under an authoritarian regime. From the start of the uprising, she was on the front lines, helping to organize protests and becoming a member of the National Transitional Council. She later resigned in protest over the lack of women’s representation. She continued her work through national dialogue initiatives aiming to bridge divisions across Libya’s fragmented society. Bugaighis was known for her outspoken criticism of armed groups and extremists. Even in the face of threats and violence, she remained committed to building democratic institutions and a more inclusive Libya. In June 2014, after returning home following her vote in the country’s parliamentary elections, she was assassinated in a targeted attack in which gunmen stormed her home, shot and stabbed her, and abducted her husband. She was 51 years old. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2020/11/12/libyan-human-rights-defender-hanan-al-barassi-gunned-down-in-benghazi/]
Yanar Mohammed
Yanar Mohammed was a prominent Iraqi feminist and human rights defender. In 1998 while living in Canada, she founded the Defense of Iraqi Women’s Rights, which in 2004, became the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI). At this point, Yanar had relocated back to Iraq, and the group created the first shelters for women fleeing domestic violence, sex trafficking, and threats of honor killings. In the years since, OWFI has operated a network of safe houses and shelters around the country and helped hundreds of women. Yanar served as editor of the feminist newspaper Al-Mousawat and participated in protests in Tahrir Square. She regularly advocated for marginalized groups in Iraq, including displaced communities and LGBTQI+ individuals. For years, Yanar received death threats for her work, at times having to restrict her movement. In March 2026, unidentified gunmen shot her outside her home in Baghdad. She was 66 years old. See https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/03/06/on-2-march-2026-woman-human-rights-defender-yanar-mohammed-was-killed-in-baghdad/.
On Tuesday 12 May 2026 the Guardian reported that more than 110 Nobel laureates have called for the immediate and unconditional release of Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Iranian human rights activist and Nobel peace prize laureate, after she was transferred to hospital amid concerns over her rapidly deteriorating health
In a statement 112 Nobel laureates urged the Iranian authorities and the international community to act “without delay” to secure Mohammadi’s release and ensure her continued access to medical treatment.
The human rights activist has experienced severe weight loss, unstable blood pressure and serious cardiac symptoms while in detention, and was found unconscious in her cell after a possible heart attack. Mohammadi’s transfer to hospital is only a temporary respite and her representatives fear she will be returned to prison if her condition improves.
The signatories included 26 Nobel laureates in chemistry, 12 in economics, five in literature, 29 in medicine, 11 peace laureates and 29 in physics, and include the authors Annie Ernaux and JM Coetzee.
Iranian human rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has returned to her home after being discharged from hospital, her foundation said.
and now – 3 years later – there is another film, shown on 02 June 2026, also in Geneva:
Ten years after the murder of Honduran human rights defender Berta Cáceres, ISHR and PBI Switzerland invite you to a special film screening and discussion featuring an edited version of the film “Water for Life “, followed by a discussion with Roxanna Altholz, Camilo Bermúdez (COPINH) and director Will Parrinello. Free admission upon registration.
As part of a European advocacy tour organised by Peace Brigades International, Roxanna Altholz and Camilo Bermúdez will be stopping off in Switzerland to discuss the fight for truth and justice in the Berta Cáceres case.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with:
Roxanna Altholz, a human rights lawyer, associate director of the Human Rights Clinic at Berkeley Law and co-author of the independent report on the murder of Berta Cáceres
Camilo Bermúdez, a human rights defender and legal adviser to COPINH, a Honduran organisation founded by Berta Cáceres and supported by PBI in Honduras
Will Parrinello, director and producer of the film Water for Life.
The discussion will be moderated by Txell Bonet, a Catalan journalist.
2 June 2026 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM. Address: Fonction cinéma Maison des Arts du Grütli Rue du Général-Dufour 16 1204 Genève Event language(s) French/Spanish RSVP Needed: yes
On 18 May 2026 UN experts and Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International expressed serious concern about the yearlong pre-trial detention of lawyer and woman human rights defender Ruth Eleonora López Alfaro in El Salvador.
“As time passes without the trial beginning, the presumption that detention is necessary is weakened,” the experts said.
López has been held in pre-trial detention for a year, officially authorised since 4 June 2025. During this time, she has been denied regular visits, despite precautionary measures ordered on 22 September 2025 by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. “This increases Ms. López’s vulnerability and puts her physical and psychological integrity at risk,” the experts said.
In maintaining judicial secrecy, the public is prevented access to hearings and the defence’s access to the criminal file is limited, thereby threatening the principle of equality of arms and the right to an adequate defence. The right to legal assistance of a lawyer of one’s choice is a cornerstone of the right to defence as established in Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The circumstances of detention and the irregularities in the proceedings, point towards López being subject to reprisals because of her legitimate activities as a human rights defender and lawyer,” they said.
The experts underscored that there are elements suggesting that the criminalisation and prolonged pre-trial detention of Ruth López not only stem from her work exposing corruption and human rights violations, but also appear to reinforce patterns of social control designed to silence women leaders in the public sphere, while also seriously undermining the work of their organisations.
The experts urged the State to release Ruth López Alfaro immediately and consider alternative measures instead of keeping her in custody. They also called for the removal of the judicial secrecy imposed in the criminal proceedings, the cessation of all acts of harassment against her, and guarantees that she may carry out her human rights work without fear of reprisals. The experts are in contact with the Government of El Salvador on this matter.
On 15 October 2025, Fariba Nawa wrote about Mahshid Nazemi, Iranian human rights defender.
Mahshid Nazemi, an Iranian human rights activist, left her home one day in the fall of 2022 to walk to the corner store to buy yogurt for dinner. The sun had set in the valley in Isparta, a city in southwestern Turkey, and the air was crisp. Nazemi pulled the hat of her coat over her head. The streets were empty. She was tired and hungry. Suddenly, she saw two cars turn on their lights. A dated, navy-colored sedan with tinted windows drove behind her slowly as she walked. Nazemi became suspicious and stopped. The car braked and a pudgy, bearded man with a khaki shirt exited, cursing at her, calling her a prostitute. “Shut your mouth or we’ll send you to Iran in a suitcase,” Nazemi recounted the man saying. “Your sister is on death row. You want to go to Iran in a suitcase?”
A year later, she stood at the exact spot in Isparta, known for its roses and lavenders, as she retold her ordeal.
Nazemi’s case underscores a broader pattern of Iranian activists abroad facing intimidation and pressure from Tehran, despite the regime’s public denials of involvement.
For Nazemi, she says her plight began long ago as a woman in Iran, where women don’t have equal rights, and the situation has been likened to gender apartheid. Women can’t sing in public, their supreme leader has said riding a bike is shameful — though some women defy the taboo and ride bikes — their testimony is considered half of a man’s in court and their right to inheritance is less than men. Nazemi has survived a lot — imprisonment, sexual harassment, death threats and a deportation camp.
The night she was followed and harassed in the street would be a prelude to a series of dubious events terrorizing her life as a dissident in exile.
At that time, Nazemi was in Turkey, which has become an opposition haven for many Iranians. She was speaking out about political prisoners and crackdowns on protesters, while also helping dissidents in Turkey get legal aid and financial support. She’s been a dogged activist on behalf of women in her native Iran. Nazemi wasn’t doing that work alone. Her oldest sister Pouran Nazemi was at the forefront of the movement in Tehran. The renowned human rights defender has been in and out of Iranian prisons throughout her life. Nazemi said it was Pouran’s sacrifices that encouraged her to become an activist, too.
A selfie of Pouran (left) and Mahshid Nazemi nine years ago in Iran. The sisters haven’t seen each other in-person for a decade.Courtesy of Mahshid Nazemi
The sisters participated in previous uprisings in Iran, demanding democratic rights for women and minorities. They were both arrested in 2016, but Mahshid Nazemi was released. Her family told her to flee, so she went to neighboring Turkey and applied for asylum to a third country. When Pouran was also released from jail, she remained in Iran. But the sisters worked as a team online across the border. They talked to the opposition media, like Voice of America Farsi, making a case for regime change and a revolution.
Instead, the hardline clerical government arrested 22,000 protesters, including Pouran once again in 2022. The government also killed about 550 people inside Iran, calling them traitors and agitators. Then the regime came for those in the diaspora.
“Iran continues to target women human rights defenders abroad, and among the typical and easy-to-use methods are digital threats, such as phishing and hacking attempts, smear and defamation campaigns, as well as threats against family members in Iran,” said Michael Michaelsen, who studies Iran and transnational repression at the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto.
Nazemi has been the victim of all these tactics but she said the regime went a step further in sending their thugs to threaten her in person that evening in 2022. She reported the incident to the Turkish police, but they didn’t believe her until they found CCTV footage of the incident. A few days later, a Turkish immigration agent called and asked her to come to their office. She thought she might be getting asylum to a third country, somewhere safer than Turkey. But instead, the agent accused her of making a fake ID card, which Nazemi denied. It’s a scene she remembers vividly.
“I didn’t make a fake card. I’m not going to admit to something I didn’t do. If you want to deport me, do so,” Nazemi told the agent. Nazemi was detained and moved into a deportation camp. “The Islamic Republic must have informants in Turkish immigration offices. Otherwise, how would I have ended up in a deportation camp, right after reporting what happened about that night,” she said.
In the camp, Nazemi said the guards beat her, pulling out half of her hair. Another Iranian migrant, who was also detained, accused her of being transgender and threw soup in her face. Nazemi said she had to disrobe in front of the other detainees to prove she was a biological woman to prevent more abuse. She said the camp almost broke her. She had medication with her and one day she took a lot of pills at once. “I didn’t take them to die, actually, but to prove something, how badly they treated us that it got me to this point,” Nazemi said. Nazemi was hospitalized outside the camp, doctors pumped her stomach and she recovered. Police released her and she returned to Isparta and appealed the deportation. Turkey denied the appeal again, but by this time Nazemi’s story was out in the Western press.
The World shared her story, along with press coverage she received in the French newspaper Le Monde — that attention helped her get a visa to France after eight years of being stuck in the Turkish asylum system. She resettled in a French village in December 2023, and continued her activism — Nazemi has expanded her cause to advocate for Afghan migrants as well.
She still gets death threats on social media. Many of the senders say they are the “soldiers of the Islamic Republic.” The direct messages in her inbox on Instagram threaten her with execution, drowning, even rape. Nazemi is under French police protection and reports all the threats.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 