Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, a laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, has announced plans to begin a new hunger strike the coming Sunday while serving time in Tehran’s Evin Prison. The decision was shared in a message posted on the activist’s official Instagram account and has been reported by Mohammadi’s family, with the date aligning with International Human Rights Day. The hunger strike is intended to join the broader protest movement led by Baha’i women, a group that Iranian authorities have long considered apostates. Reports confirm Mohammadi is incarcerated in Evin Prison, continuing her decades-long campaign for political and social reforms in Iran.
In a public message, Mohammadi highlighted the daily toll exacted on families of detainees and the hardships endured by women confined to solitary or security cells. She spoke out against the suppression of dissent and the violence faced by protesters and political prisoners, emphasizing the persistence of screams from mothers and fathers seeking justice for their loved ones. The message underscored the human cost of the ongoing crackdown in Iran and called attention to the ongoing struggles inside the country’s detention facilities.
Over the course of her life, Mohammadi has spent a significant portion of more than two decades in prison, enduring multiple convictions and accumulating a lengthy prison sentence totaling more than three decades. Her activism has been a driving force behind numerous organizations, constructive journals, and writings that critique the treatment of women and advocate for basic human rights within Iran. Her work across years has shaped public discourse on women’s rights and the broader human-rights landscape in the region.
Mohammadi’s commitment to journalism and advocacy has earned international recognition. Alongside colleagues Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, she received a prestigious global award for press freedom from the United Nations in May of the current year, acknowledging the courageous reporting and advocacy carried out under difficult conditions in Iran. The award highlighted the role of journalists and activists in exposing abuses and safeguarding freedom of expression in challenging environments, drawing attention from international audiences and human-rights organizations alike.
The most recent sentencing cycle includes a punishment of ten years and eight months in prison for offenses described as crimes related to national security and propaganda against the state, coupled with a sentence of 154 lashes. International humanitarian organizations condemned these sentences as punitive measures meant to deter activism and silence dissent. The decision has drawn renewed concern from rights groups about the treatment of prisoners and the use of punitive penalties to punish political advocacy.
Relatives and friends of Mohammadi have repeatedly called for her release on humanitarian grounds, citing health concerns following a heart attack that required emergency surgery the previous year. Advocates argue that continued detention exacerbates health risks and violates international standards for humane treatment, urging authorities to consider medical needs and the broader implications for human rights in Iran. The case remains a focal point for international observers monitoring the fate of imprisoned activists and the state of civil liberties in the country.