Prisoner of Conscience
Prisoner of Conscience
A prisoner of conscience was first defined as “any person who is physically restrained (by imprisonment or otherwise) from expressing (in any form of words or symbols) any opinion which he honestly holds and which does not advocate or condone personal violence. We also exclude those people who have conspired with a foreign government to overthrow their own.”
Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist and the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center. She attended university and has a degree in physics, becoming a professional engineer. During her time at university, she wrote articles supporting women's rights in the student newspaper. However, she was arrested at two meetings of the political student group “Illuminating Student Group”. Although she was active in a mountain climbing group she was later banned from joining climbs due to her political activities. As Iran is an Islamic country, women face much discrimination and has had many human rights taken away. The government does not treat “threats” kindly, and as such Mohammadi was punished for her work. However, I think she was right to follow her conscience, and she and fellow females were treated unfairly.
Mohammadi was arrested in 1998 for her criticisms of the Iranian government, spending a year in prison and again in July 2011, being found guilty of "acting against the national security, membership of the DHRC (Defender of Human Rights Center) and propaganda against the regime".
Mohammadi was one of the many who was termed as a “Prisoner of Conscience” as they have been punished simply for following their conscience.
A prisoner of conscience was first defined as “any person who is physically restrained (by imprisonment or otherwise) from expressing (in any form of words or symbols) any opinion which he honestly holds and which does not advocate or condone personal violence. We also exclude those people who have conspired with a foreign government to overthrow their own.”
Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist and the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center. She attended university and has a degree in physics, becoming a professional engineer. During her time at university, she wrote articles supporting women's rights in the student newspaper. However, she was arrested at two meetings of the political student group “Illuminating Student Group”. Although she was active in a mountain climbing group she was later banned from joining climbs due to her political activities. As Iran is an Islamic country, women face much discrimination and has had many human rights taken away. The government does not treat “threats” kindly, and as such Mohammadi was punished for her work. However, I think she was right to follow her conscience, and she and fellow females were treated unfairly.
Mohammadi was arrested in 1998 for her criticisms of the Iranian government, spending a year in prison and again in July 2011, being found guilty of "acting against the national security, membership of the DHRC (Defender of Human Rights Center) and propaganda against the regime".
Mohammadi was one of the many who was termed as a “Prisoner of Conscience” as they have been punished simply for following their conscience.