Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi on Monday highlighted the challenges of upholding democracy and protecting human rights in countries governed by rigid ideologies.

Speaking at the Kantipur Conclave 2026 as a keynote speaker, Ebadi focused on Iran, her home country, where citizens have protested for democratic freedoms and women’s rights for over four decades.

Authorities have often responded with arrests, suppression, and violence, she said. 

“In Iran, laws are based on the religion chosen by the state, rather than reflecting the will of the people,” she said, stressing that governments should not impose ideology over the rights and voices of citizens.

She said the country’s youth continue to speak out, organise and demand change, even as authorities respond with arrests and violence.

“Despite all the hardships, our younger generation has not remained silent,” Ebadi said. “From an early age, they discuss politics, question the government and monitor the state’s actions. They do not give up.”

Ebadi said Iranians have repeatedly taken to the streets for more than four decades, but each wave of protest has been met with repression, imprisonment, violence and executions.

Recalling unrest a month ago, she said many young people joined protests, and several were killed by security forces. She traced Iran’s crisis back to the 1979 revolution, which she said established an authoritarian religious regime. Since then, Iranians have lived under harsh religious laws with punishments she described as medieval.

Ebadi said Iran enforces discriminatory laws based on gender, religion, sexual orientation and minority identity, while corruption and embezzlement are widespread. Despite vast oil, gas and mineral resources, she said about two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line.

She also recalled the protests that erupted in September 2022 after a young woman died in police custody following her arrest over an alleged improper hijab. Ebadi said security forces used live ammunition to suppress demonstrations and even raided hospitals to arrest the injured, adding that health workers who tried to help protesters were also detained.

Turning to Nepal, Ebadi praised the Gen Z movement of September 2025, which mobilised young people to demand accountability and democratic reforms.

“The movement in Nepal caught my attention. I looked closely at why they protested, and I am happy that it was for democracy. I wish to pay heartfelt tribute to those who lost their lives during the protests,” she said. Ebadi encouraged young people, especially those 18 and above, to participate in elections, highlighting voting as a concrete way to influence change and prevent repeated protests.

She also noted a global trend of citizens increasingly demanding their rights. While raising voices is important, she cautioned that lasting change requires active participation and solution-driven engagement. “Young people cannot expect that merely raising their voices will resolve everything. They need to participate, come up with solutions, and be part of the change,” she said.

Citing global examples, including Iran’s Women, Life, Freedom movement, Ebadi emphasised that democracy depends on respecting minority rights and ensuring governments remain accountable to citizens rather than ideological doctrines.

She urged governments worldwide to listen to their people and build institutions that protect human rights and freedoms.