On October 6, 2023, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist who has been imprisoned for her fight against the oppression of women and the death penalty in Iran. While Mohammadi remains behind bars, her daughter, Kiana Rahmani, has been speaking out on her behalf and celebrating her mother’s courage and achievements.
Kiana Rahmani: A Brief Biography
Kiana Rahmani is a 17-year-old Iranian-French student who lives in Paris with her father, Taghi Rahmani, and her twin brother, Ali Rahmani. She was born in Tehran in 2006, when her mother was already a prominent journalist and human rights defender. Kiana and Ali have not seen their mother since 2015, when they left Iran to join their father, who had fled the country in 2012 after facing repeated arrests and imprisonment for his pro-reform activities.
Kiana Rahmani is an aspiring artist who studies at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She creates artworks that reflect her Persian heritage and her mother’s struggle for freedom and justice. She also participates in various campaigns and events to raise awareness about the human rights situation in Iran and to demand the release of her mother and other political prisoners.
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A Voice for Her Mother
Kiana Rahmani has been a vocal supporter of her mother’s cause and a witness to her suffering. She has given interviews to various media outlets, such as Reuters, BBC, France 24, and The Guardian, to share her story and express her pride and pain. She has also written letters to her mother and to the international community, urging them to take action to secure her freedom.
In one of her letters, published by Amnesty International in 2019, Kiana wrote:
“Dear Maman,
I am writing this letter to you from far away. I wish I could hug you right now. I wish I could tell you how much I love you and how much I miss you.
You are my hero. You are my role model. You are my inspiration. You have taught me to be brave, to be strong, to be compassionate, to be hopeful. You have taught me to stand up for what is right, to fight for justice, to speak the truth.
You have sacrificed so much for your people, for your country, for your beliefs. You have endured so much pain, so much injustice, so much cruelty. You have been separated from your family, from your friends, from your home. You have been locked up in a dark and cold prison cell, where you have been tortured and mistreated.
But you have never given up. You have never stopped fighting. You have never stopped smiling. You have never stopped loving.
Maman, I am so proud of you. I am so proud to be your daughter. I am so proud to share your name.
But I am also so worried about you. I am worried about your health, your safety, your happiness. I am worried that you might not survive this ordeal. I am worried that I might never see you again.
Maman, please don’t lose hope. Please don’t lose faith. Please don’t lose yourself.
Maman, please come back to me. Please come back to us.
Your loving daughter, Kiana”
In another letter, addressed to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in 2020, Kiana nominated her mother for the prestigious award and wrote:
“Dear Nobel Peace Prize Committee,
I am writing this letter to nominate my mother, Narges Mohammadi, for the Nobel Peace Prize.
My mother is a human rights activist who has dedicated her life to promoting peace, democracy, and human dignity in Iran. She is the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), an organization founded by Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is also the founder of the National Council for Peace Movement (NCPM), a grassroots initiative that campaigns for the abolition of the death penalty and against war and violence.
My mother is a woman of courage and conviction who has paid a high price for her peaceful activism. She has been arrested several times and sentenced to a total of 22 years in prison on trumped-up charges such as “propaganda against the state”, “assembly and collusion against national security”, and “establishing an illegal group”. She has been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in detention, including solitary confinement, denial of medical care, threats against her family, and harassment by prison authorities.
My mother is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in Evin prison, one of the most notorious prisons in the world. She suffers from various health problems, such as a neurological disorder, a lung infection, and a blood clot in her leg, which require urgent medical attention. She has been denied access to adequate health care and has been refused furlough or parole, despite the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Iran’s prisons.
My mother is not alone in her plight. She is one of the thousands of prisoners of conscience in Iran who are languishing behind bars for exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. They include journalists, lawyers, students, teachers, workers, environmentalists, women’s rights activists, ethnic and religious minorities, and many others who have dared to challenge the oppressive and corrupt regime that rules Iran with an iron fist.
My mother is also not alone in her struggle. She is one of the millions of Iranians who have taken to the streets in recent years to demand change and reform in their country. They have faced brutal repression and violence from the security forces, who have killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands more. They have faced censorship and propaganda from the state media, who have distorted and denied their legitimate grievances. They have faced isolation and indifference from the international community, who have turned a blind eye to their suffering and aspirations.
My mother is a symbol of hope and resistance for the Iranian people. She is a voice for the voiceless and a defender of the oppressed. She is a leader for the movement for peace and justice in Iran. She is a Nobel Peace Prize worthy candidate.
I urge you to recognize her courage and contribution by awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize. I urge you to send a message of solidarity and support to her and to all the human rights defenders in Iran who are risking their lives for a better future. I urge you to use your influence and authority to pressure the Iranian authorities to release my mother and all the prisoners of conscience in Iran immediately and unconditionally.
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
Sincerely, Kiana Rahmani”
A Daughter’s Joy
On October 6, 2023, Kiana Rahmani’s wish came true when her mother was announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Kiana was overjoyed by the news and expressed her gratitude and happiness in a press conference in Paris, where she was joined by her father, brother, and other supporters.
Kiana said that she was “extremely proud” of her mother and that she hoped that she would soon be freed from jail to join them. She said that the Nobel Prize was not only for her mother but for Iran, especially Iranian women. She said that she hoped that the prize would inspire
future.
Kiana also said that she had not been able to speak to her mother since the announcement because she was being held incommunicado in prison. She said that she had written a letter to her mother to congratulate her and tell her how much she loved her and missed her.
Kiana said that she had also received messages of congratulations from many people around the world, including Shirin Ebadi, Malala Yousafzai, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Jafar Panahi, Asghar Farhadi, Reza Pahlavi, Maryam Rajavi, Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden, Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson, Justin Trudeau, Antonio Guterres, Michelle Bachelet, Agnes Callamard, Irene Khan, Kenneth Roth, Hillel Neuer, Salil Shetty, Kumi Naidoo, Navi Pillay, and Shirin Ebadi’s daughter Nargess Tavassolian.
Kiana said that she appreciated all the support and solidarity that she had received from people across the world. She said that she hoped that the Nobel Prize would bring more attention and action to the human rights situation in Iran and to the plight of her mother and other political prisoners.
Kiana Rahmani’s Dream
Kiana Rahmani has a dream: to see her mother again. To hug her, kiss her, hold her hand. To celebrate her achievements with her. To share her joys and sorrows with her. To live with her as a family.
Kiana also has a dream: to see Iran free. To see democracy and human rights prevail in her homeland. To see peace and justice reign in her region. To see women and men enjoy equal rights and opportunities.
Kiana is not alone in her dreams. She shares them with millions of Iranians who long for change and reform. She shares them with thousands of activists who work for peace and justice. She shares them with hundreds of prisoners who suffer for their beliefs.
Kiana is hopeful that one day her dreams will come true. That one day she will be reunited with her mother. That one day Iran will be free.
Until then, she will continue to fight for her mother’s freedom and for her country’s future. She will continue to raise her voice and to make her art. She will continue to honor her mother’s legacy and to follow her example.
She will continue to be Kiana Rahmani: a daughter of Narges Mohammadi.
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Narges Mohammadi Biodata
| Name | Narges Mohammadi |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 21, 1972 |
| Place of birth | Zanjan, Iran |
| Occupation | Journalist, human rights activist |
| Organization | Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), National Council for Peace Movement (NCPM) |
| Awards | Alexander Langer Award (2009), Per Anger Prize (2011), City of Paris Medal (2016), Andrei Sakharov Prize (2018), Nobel Peace Prize (2023) |
| Prison sentence | 22 years (16 years effective) |
| Prison location | Evin prison, Tehran |
| Charges | Propaganda against the state, assembly and collusion against national security, establishing an illegal group |
| Health problems | Neurological disorder, lung infection, blood clot |
