Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has once again been sentenced to prison, highlighting the ongoing confrontation between Iranian authorities and one of the country’s most prominent human rights voices. According to her lawyer Mostafa Nili, an Iranian court has sentenced Mohammadi to six years in jail on charges of “gathering and collusion to commit crimes.” Along with the prison term, she has also been banned from leaving Iran for two years.
The court additionally handed her an extra one-and-a-half-year sentence for alleged propaganda activities and ordered her exile for two years to Khosf, a city in Iran’s eastern South Khorasan province. Under Iranian law, these prison sentences will run concurrently. Her lawyer said the verdict is not final and can still be appealed. He also expressed hope that due to Mohammadi’s fragile health, she may be temporarily released on bail to receive medical treatment.
Narges Mohammadi, 53, has spent much of the last decade behind bars. For more than 25 years, she has campaigned against capital punishment and strongly criticized Iran’s mandatory dress code for women. Her activism has repeatedly led to arrests, trials, and prison sentences. Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi has continued her protests from inside jail, including hunger strikes and demonstrations within prison grounds. Her personal life has also been deeply affected. Mohammadi has not seen her twin children, who live in Paris, since 2015. In December 2024, she was granted temporary release for three weeks due to serious health concerns following tumor removal and bone graft surgery, but she was later returned to prison.
Mohammadi gained global recognition in 2023 when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her advocacy for human rights and freedom. As she was imprisoned at the time, her children accepted the award on her behalf. Iranian authorities, however, strongly criticized the Nobel Committee’s decision.
A leading figure in Iran’s human rights movement, Mohammadi serves as vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, founded by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. Over the years, she has reported alleged abuses faced by women prisoners, including solitary confinement and mistreatment. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, continue to criticize Iran’s record on executions and civil liberties. Despite repeated imprisonment and health struggles, Mohammadi remains a powerful symbol of resistance and a prominent voice advocating for human rights in Iran.
