A group of Iranians that includes writers, artists, journalists, humanitarians, and political and social activists living in exile request that the Norwegian Nobel Committee for Peace Prize invite to the ceremony the mothers, or another immediate family member, of those killed in recent protests.
To The Nobel Foundation
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you are aware, the peaceful movement of the people of Iran for democracy and freedom has continued to rise, despite brutal crackdown of the Iranian state. In light of the ongoing protest movement, new vistas for peaceful, democratic transition have appeared in Iran.
As Iranian writers, artists, public intellectuals, journalists, human rights advocates, and political and social activists who now live in exile, we believe that your support of democratic movement in Iran will contribute immensely to democratic and peaceful ideals of the Iranian people.
We therefore humbly request that the Norwegian Nobel Committee make the symbolic gesture of supporting the democratic movement of Iranian people by inviting as guests to the Awarding Ceremony the family members of those who lost their lives in the recent events in Iran.
We believe that such a symbolic gesture by the Norwegian Nobel Committee will capture the humanitarian essence of Nobel Peace Prize in the eyes of the freedom-loving people of Iran and the world.
Respectfully,
Mahasti Afshar (Human Rights Activist, USA)
Maryam Afshari (Human Rights Activist, Sweden)
Nazanin Afshin-Jam (Humanitarian, Canada)
Shahla Aghapour (Painter, Germany)
Ebrahim Ahanian (Political Activist, Sweden)
Ramin Ahmadi (Professor, USA)
Asal Akhavan (Women’s Rights Activist, Australia)
Reza Allamehzadeh (Filmmaker, The Netherlands)
Victoria Azad (Women Rights Activist, Sweden)
Mahnaz Badihian (Poet and activist, USA)
Mohammad Bagher Samimi (Journalist, Canada)
Shahla Bahardoot (Poet, Germany)
Pantea Bahrami (Filmmaker, Germany)
Abbas Bakhtiary (Publisher, France)
Reza Baraheni (Writer, Canada)
Niloofar Beyzaie (Theater director, Germany)
Karim Behjatpour (Political Activist, Germany)
Roshanak Bigonah (Poet, USA)
Jaleh Chegeni (Poet, France)
Javad Dadsetan (Filmmaker, France)
Tala Dowlatshahi (Journalist, UK)
Hadi Ebrahimi (Journalist, Editor, Canada)
Rozita Fazaei (Actress, Germany)
Manouchehr Fazel (Journalist, Germany)
Hossein Fazeli (naanaam) (Cineaste/writer, Canada)
Masoud Gharibi (Artist, The Netherlands)
Reza Ghassemi (Writer, France)
Naser Ghiasi (Writer, Germany)
Ezzat Goushegir (Writer and playwright, USA)
Omid Habibinia (Journalist, Switzerland)
Behrooz Hamidi (Activist, Italy)
Maryam Hojjat (Activist, USA)
Nader Jahanfard (Journalist, US)
Hanna Jahanforooz (Singer, Israel)
Jahanshah Javid (Journalist, USA)
Sheema Kalbasi (Poet, Human Rights Activist, USA)
Mahmood Kavir (Poet, UK)
Nasim Khaksar (Writer and political activist, The Netherlands)
Hadi Khojinian (Writer, UK)
Mansour Koushan (Theater producer, Norway)
Hossein Ladjevardi (Professor and activist, France)
Efat Mahbaz (Journalist, UK)
Verya Maz’har (V. M. Ayroo) (Poet and author, Finland)
Zinat Mirhashemi (Political Activist, Italy)
Shokooh Mirzadegi (Writer and activist, USA)
Esfandiar Monfaredzadeh (Musician, USA)
Bijan Moshaver (Humanitarian, The Netherlands)
Jamileh Nedai (Filmmaker, France)
Ali Negahban (Writer, Canada)
Naffis Nia (Writer, The Netherlands)
Shiva Nojo (Women and peace activist, Germany)
Navid Nonahal (Journalist, USA)
Partow Nooriala (Poet, Women’s Rights activist, USA)
Koushyar Parsi (Writer, The Netherlands)
Touradj Parsi (Researcher, Sweden)
Shahrnush Parsipur (Writer, USA)
Nahid Persson (Filmmaker, Sweden)
Reza Piramoon (Journalist, Sweden)
Ahmad Rafat (Journalist, Italy)
Susan Rakhsh (Sociologist, Women’s Rights Activist, Norway)
Asad Rashidi (Writer, France)
Sohrab Rahimi (Poet/Translater, Sweden)
Mehrangiz Rassapour (Poet, UK)
Mahshid Rasti (Women’s Rights Activist, Sweden)
Farah Ravon (Photographer, USA)
Parisa Saed (Journalist, Women’s Rights Activist, USA)
Ali Saki (Human Rights Activist, Norway)
Babak Salari (Photographer, Educator, Canada)
Mehdi Same (Political Activist, Norway)
Noshin Shahrokhi (Writer, Germany)
Arash Shahteimoury (Journalist, Sweden)
Siba Shakib (Filmmaker, Germany)
Behrooz Sheyda (Researcher and literary critic, Sweden)
Seyed Shoja Adel (Poet, USA)
Abbas Shokri (Journalist, Norway)
Behrooz Sooren (Editor, Austria)
Elia Tabesh (Political Activist, Sweden)
Soheila Vahdati (Professor and activist, USA)
Sholeh Wolpe (Poet, USA)
Suzy Yashar (TV producer, USA)
Nasser Yousefi (Film director and journalist, Sweden)
Mina Zand Siegel (Writer, Activist, USA)
Hassan Zarezadeh Ardeshir (Human Rights Activist, USA)
More signatures will be added.
Please contact Sheema Kalbasi at Iranianwoman@gmail.com or Omid Habibinia at omidha@gmail.com
