The Inconvenient Laureate: Why Some Freedoms are Freer Than Others
THE CLAIM: They're Just Following Their Laws The BBC report, in its typically reserved fashion, notes that Mohammadi was sentenced for "propaganda against the system" stemming from her comments at a memorial and a subsequent interview. This frames it as a legal process, an unfortunate but somehow understandable enforcement of national laws. THE EVIDENCE: The Public Record Doesn't Lie, But It Does
Get Selective Mohammadi's latest conviction follows a lengthy history of arrests and sentences, often related to her work with the Defenders of Human Rights Center and her vocal opposition to systemic injustices in Iran (Amnesty International, 2023). Her 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was explicitly awarded for her "fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and
freedom for all." The specific incident cited for this new charge involved her speaking at a memorial for a victim of state violence – a rather fundamental act of free expression. Curiously, the charges often morph. In 2011, she was convicted for 'acting against national security' and 'propaganda against the state.' In 2015, more charges including 'forming an illegal group.' It's almost as if the
definition of 'propaganda' expands conveniently to encompass any utterance the state finds disagreeable. THE CONTRADICTIONS: Selective Outrage or Strategic Silence? When 'propaganda against the system' is the charge, the system in question tends to be the determining factor in the international outcry. The same global institutions and media outlets that trumpet Mohammadi's bravery (rightly so)