The "Guardian of Democracy” award was presented at Cinema for Peace Gala 2024 by The World Forum on the Future of Democracy, Tech, and Humankind. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who is currently imprisoned for her steadfast advocacy against the oppression of women in Iran and her unwavering dedication to promoting democracy, human rights, and freedom for all, was the distinguished recipient of this significant honor. Mohammadi's tireless efforts stand as a testament to the courage and commitment required to confront systemic injustices and champion fundamental human rights. Despite facing severe personal repercussions, including imprisonment, her ongoing advocacy continues to inspire a global audience, underscoring the indispensable role of individual activists in the broader fight for democracy and equality.

The acceptance on behalf of Mohammadi was poignantly delivered through a letter, read by her children, Ali Rahmani and Kiana Rahmani, at the Gala. This emotional moment underscored the personal sacrifices made by champions of democracy and human rights, offering a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by activists worldwide. Mohammadi's words, conveyed by her children, resonated deeply with attendees, serving as a powerful call to action for the international community to support those fighting for democratic principles under oppressive regimes.

Letter from Narges Mohammadi Sent from Prison:

It is a great honor for me to write from inside the prison for the esteemed "Cinema for Peace" foundation. I am confident that the extensive and concerted efforts of peace activists worldwide will pave a brighter future for humanity.

Extreme actions and extremism threaten peace, often resulting in war. War is commonly associated with fire, explosions, gunfire, and attacks, creating a terrifying image. This makes the search for peace even harder, as it becomes difficult to understand its meaning, possibility, and importance.

War is clearly condemned, and the difficulty and burden of proving its hatred and brutality fall on no one's shoulders.

Allow me to paint a general picture of the situation we are facing, alongside millions of people in the Middle East and in countries governed by authoritarian religious regimes such as the Islamic Republic & the Taliban. In describing this situation, which I certainly do not consider peaceful, to justify the use of the term war, I only refer to two alarming and threatening situations for peace in Iran: sexual apartheid & executions.

Autocracy is the other side of the war coin. To highlight the dirty and infected wounds of autocracy, one needs only to look at the repressive, savage, and tyrannical policies of the Islamic Republic regime. The street massacres of people during protest uprisings and democratic and social movements, including the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, arrests, torture, imprisonment in solitary cells, and the application of white torture, obtaining forced confessions, and the issuance of heavy prison and execution sentences in unfair and spectacular trials, certainly do not convince any peace advocate of the existence of peace in Iran. The killing of protesters and opponents on the streets, whether by beating or by gunfire on the streets, is just as odious and inflammatory as the killing of innocent people under bombs and missiles. The Islamic Republic regime is aggressive and opposed to the fundamental rights of the Iranian people, and it does not even adhere to its own laws. Is dying at the hands of foreign invading forces, in the sense of war, and dying at the hands of the internal invading and aggressive regime in the sense of peace for 45 years? In my opinion, the land of Iran is governed by a totalitarian and ideological regime that is at war with its people at all times and everywhere. But this unilateral, unstoppable, and ever-growing war against the people advances without a traffic light. Perhaps if an image of the countless and incessant executions were broadcast on television screens, this image-saturated world would tremble on its own, and the outcry against executions, just like the outcry against war in the world, would be heard loud and clear.

In the past year, more than 900 people have been hanged. Every day, before the sunrise call to prayer, silent and defenseless groups are led to the gallows. How tragic and disturbing that no image of these deadly explosions tarnishes the memory of any human being in any dark corner of the planet.

The authoritarian religious government has reached the most unbearable level of economic situation, the most disastrous social crisis situation, and the lowest cultural level. A situation that is unlike that of war-torn lands.

Respected members,

Recently, in a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I requested that the United Nations condemn the sexual apartheid of women in Iran and Afghanistan to save them from the misogynistic authoritarian religious regime. The regimes of the Islamic Republic and the Taliban, with their authoritarian and religiously tinted nature, have instituted systematic and institutionalized discrimination that enjoys strong support from targeted laws and policies, have created a unique and unknown direction, and have imposed submission, erasure, and elimination of women in their most complex and unimaginable forms at all levels of private and public life.

As a woman, witnessing sexual apartheid in my country, Iran, not as a document collector to prove in court, but clearly as a woman who has experienced this crime against humanity, I declare that despite sexual apartheid, lasting peace will be impossible and will be faced with insoluble and internal contradictions. Similarly, democracy, ethics, freedom, and equality are meaningless in the absence of women's human rights and equality, and in a situation of domination, discrimination, and repression that is meaningless.

I also testify loudly and clearly that the devastating and destructive suffering of millions of women in the Middle East, especially in Iran under the Islamic Republic regime, and in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, will remain eternally dirty and infected on the human conscience. In the face of our suffering, do not remain silent.

I thank the president and the honorable members of this prestigious international institution for the award of a very important prize, and I ask you, as members of the artistic and cultural community who play a crucial role in shaping and growing global public awareness for peace, not to abandon the Iranian people and the women of the Middle East, especially in Iran and Afghanistan, and clearly with your artistic and cultural contributions, to place the issue of executions and sexual apartheid to achieve democracy, freedom, equality, and lasting peace at the center of global public awareness.

We are standing, and we will continue to fight to overthrow the misogynistic religious regime of the Islamic Republic. I am convinced that the Iranian people will prevail, and you will hear the chant of our victory in the streets of our cities.

Narges Mohammadi
Evin Prison
February 2024