News Center – Amid rising international criticism of the human rights situation in Iran, the new prison sentence against activist Narges Mohammadi has sparked widespread debate, particularly in light of reports confirming that she has been subjected to physical abuse and harsh treatment threatening her life.

On Wednesday, February 11, the Norwegian Nobel Committee called on Iran to immediately release activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, just days after she was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

In a statement issued Thursday, February 12, the Nobel Committee said that Narges Mohammadi had been subjected to cruel and degrading punishment in violation of international human rights law, describing her case as another stark example of the brutal repression that followed the mass protests in Iran, during which countless women and men risked their lives demanding freedom, equality, and fundamental human rights.

Citing reliable sources inside the country, the Committee noted that Narges Mohammadi was violently arrested while attending the funeral of a human rights lawyer and confirmed that she continues to face serious physical abuse that threatens her life.

Close associates of Narges Mohammadi reported on Sunday that an Iranian court had issued a new ruling sentencing her to more than seven additional years in prison, following her decision to begin a hunger strike.

Her lawyer explained that the court sentenced her to six years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion,” in addition to one and a half years for “spreading falsehoods,” along with a two-year travel ban. He noted that the verdict is still subject to appeal and clarified that the Iranian judiciary applies the principle of merging sentences, meaning that the harshest penalty will be enforced.

Her lawyer expressed hope that she would be granted temporary release on bail, given her health condition and need for medical treatment.

Narges Mohammadi is considered one of the most prominent human rights voices in Iran. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 in recognition of her struggle against the death penalty and her ongoing defense of women’s rights. She has spent most of the past ten years behind bars and has been deprived of meeting her children since 2015.

In December 2024, authorities temporarily released her for health reasons after she underwent surgery to remove a tumor, but she was returned to prison in December 2025. The new sentence comes amid escalating international criticism of Iran’s human rights record, with concerns over intensified judicial and security pressure on activists and dissidents.

Human rights activist Narges Mohammadi received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize while in prison, in recognition of her continued efforts to promote women’s rights and advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran.