A Mashhad court has handed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi a fresh prison term totaling seven-and-a-half years. The ruling splits into six years for gathering and collusion and 1.5 years for propaganda activities. She was also hit with a two-year travel ban and two years of exile to the eastern Khusf region.
Mohammadi was arrested in December for making provocative remarks at a memorial, and her family says she was beaten during the arrest. The 53-year-old activist, awarded the Nobel in 2023 for her campaigning against female oppression in Iran, has been in detention since then. She began a hunger strike on February 2, according to supporters.
Her lawyers and the Narges Foundation described the hearing as a sham, and Mohammadi's husband said she attended in silence, refusing to sign any papers, as he denounced the process as illegitimate. Doctors reportedly noted her poor health, with hospital visits during detention.
The case underscores ongoing strains between Iran's authorities and human rights advocates. Mohammadi's supporters say the new sentence compounds punitive measures against peaceful activism, and they call on international groups to intervene.
