Nobel laureate Mohammadi says Iranians are paying the price for war

Iranians are suffering as economic misery and internal repression leave “no room for people to breathe” after 1 1/2 years of wars and ongoing U.S. sanctions, the country’s most prominent human rights activist has told The Associated Press.Narges Mohammadi, 54, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, was temporarily released from prison for medical reasons earlier this year after falling unconscious and being transferred to a hospital. Her memoir — titled “A Woman Never Stops Fighting" — was written behind bars, with parts of it smuggled out by fellow inmates. Editions in French, German and nine other languages are being released this month. The English and Farsi editions are to be released next year. In an interview conducted Friday by The Associated Press from outside Iran, Mohammadi said Iranians are grappling with multiple crises stemming from the ongoing war and deepening economic pressure. "It’s the people who are paying an extremely heavy price,” she said.But she said many Iranians continue to quietly defy their leaders, a change she traces back to the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in a hospital after being detained for viola...