Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Iran, has been handed an additional 15-month sentence by an Iranian court for allegedly spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic, as reported by her family on Monday. The family’s Instagram post revealed that the verdict was issued on December 19, and Mohammadi, who is currently serving a 30-month sentence in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, chose not to attend the court sessions.
In addition to the imprisonment, the court ruled that after completing her sentence, Mohammadi would face a two-year ban on international travel and be prohibited from joining political and social groups, as well as using a mobile phone during the same period. The verdict also mandated her exile from the capital, Tehran, necessitating her likely transfer to another province within Iran.
This latest legal action is indicative of the Iranian theocracy’s displeasure with Mohammadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing her years of activism despite enduring a prolonged government campaign against her. At 51, she is the 19th woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and the second Iranian woman after Shirin Ebadi in 2003.
Won Nobel prize in 2023
Mohammadi’s activism persisted despite numerous arrests, including a hunger strike in November to protest the denial of medical care to her and fellow inmates, as well as the mandatory headscarves for women in the country. Her prominence rose during nationwide women-led protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman in police custody, who was detained for not adhering to authorities’ headscarf preferences.
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The Revolutionary Court’s verdict adds to Mohammadi’s extensive history of activism-related convictions since March 2021. Having spent a cumulative 12 years in jail, she has faced 13 arrests and received a total of 31 years in prison. Despite the challenges, Mohammadi’s commitment to human rights in Iran has been recognized globally, earning her the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. Her children, who accepted the prize on her behalf in Oslo, read a speech expressing her condemnation of Iran’s “tyrannical” government and highlighting the transformative civil resistance of young Iranians in response to oppressive measures.