Media reports say Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to an additional seven and a half years in prison by an Iranian court, according to media reports.
Mohammadi was sentenced to six years on charges of “gathering and collusion” and a further 18 months for “propaganda activities” following a court ruling in the northeastern city of Mashhad. Her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, announced the verdict on social media on February 8.
The 53-year-old activist was arrested in December after allegedly making “provocative remarks” at a memorial ceremony, Iranian authorities said at the time. Her family has stated that Mohammadi was taken to hospital after being beaten during the arrest.
Nili, who said he spoke to Mohammadi for the first time since December 14, added that the court also imposed a two-year travel ban and ordered her internal exile for two years to the eastern Khusf region.
Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her activism against the oppression of women in Iran and her long-standing advocacy for human rights.
The Narges Foundation, which supports Mohammadi, described the February 7 court hearing as a “sham” and reported that she began a hunger strike on February 2. Nili said on February 8 that Mohammadi had been taken to hospital three days earlier “due to her poor physical condition” before being returned to the detention facility.
“When she began to explain the events and the circumstances of her detention, the phone call was disconnected,” Nili said.
Mohammadi’s husband, Taghi Rahmani, told the BBC that she refused to mount a defense in court out of a “steadfast belief that this judiciary holds no legitimacy,” describing the proceedings as “a mere charade with a predetermined end.”
“Although she was likely forced to attend, she remained silent — she did not utter a single word, nor did she sign any document,” Rahmani said. He described the sentence as “cruel and deeply unjust” and urged international human rights organizations to protest the ruling.
Their daughter, Kiana Rahmani, said she was “gravely concerned” about her mother’s health and safety.
Mohammadi has already spent more than a decade in prison. According to the Narges Foundation, the latest ruling brings the total length of prison sentences handed down against her to 44 years. Since 2021, she has been serving a 13-year sentence on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “collusion against state security,” accusations she denies.
She was granted temporary medical release from Tehran’s Evin prison for three weeks in December 2024 but was expected to return to serve her remaining sentences. Her most recent arrest occurred while she was attending a memorial service for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer found dead in his office in early December.
Meanwhile, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, citing the General Directorate of Tehran Prisons, reported on February 8 that Mohammadi had been returned to prison after hospital examinations confirmed her physical condition was “normal.”
The prison authority rejected reports of serious health issues, stating that she was transferred to hospital on February 4 in accordance with regulations and returned following medical checks.
According to the statement, comprehensive examinations — including blood tests and cardiac assessments — were conducted, and her lung test results were reported as normal.
