Iranian Nobel laureate handed new jail term

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, has been handed new jail terms amounting to seven and a half years, as reported by The National on February 8th.

The new terms were introduced following her arrest on December 12th, during a memorial ceremony held for the late Human Rights lawyer, Khosrow Alikordi.

Following her arrest, Mohammadi was being held at a detention centre in Mashhad. But footage aired by Persian-language broadcasters, showed Mohammadi standing on a vehicle with a microphone, calling on mourners to shout out slogans such as: “Long live Iran”, “we fight, we die, we accept no humiliation”, as well as “Death to the dictator”.

The 53-year-old has been sentenced for six years over assembly and collusion against Iran’s national security and a one-and-a-half years for propaganda against the Iranian government. Mohammadi was also punished with two years of internal exile in Khusf and a travel ban lasting two years.

During her court proceedings, Mohammadi had offered no defence. Her husband, Taghi Rahmani said it was due to her “steadfast” view that “this judiciary holds no legitimacy” and that the proceedings were a “charade with a pre-determined end”.

The news comes as Mohammadi was transferred to hospital due to “deteriorating health”, having ended a six-day hunger strike which started on February 2nd. 

In a statement shared with CNN, the Narges Foundation stated that she began her hunger strike “to protest her unlawful detention and the dire conditions in which she is being held, [which are] realities faced by numerous political prisoners currently held in Iran”.

The foundation said that due to Mohammadi’s medical history, which includes heart attacks, chest pain, high blood pressure as well as spinal disc issues and other illnesses, “her continued detention is extremely dangerous and a violation of human rights laws”. Mohammadi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili has stated on X, “Considering her illness, it is expected that she will be temporarily released a bail so she can receive treatment”.

In 2023, while in prison, she was given the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy on women’s rights and political freedom in Iran. The accolade was collected on her behalf by her children. Mohammadi has been arrested over 13 times, and has received sentences of up to 30 years behind bars. She has now spent more than 10 years in prison. However, this latest term now brings the total time she has been ordered to stay behind bars to 44 years.

Rahmani stated that “they [the authorities] know that if she is released she will immediately resume her activism as she views rejoining the people her duty”. He added that, “Narges will never be silenced, and it is her voice that they fear most”.

Al-Monitor, BBC, CNN, The National, Asharq-Al-Awsat via AP, Maghrebi.org