Iranian courts have sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi with another seven-and-a-half years of imprisonment, in addition to the multiple sentences she is already serving, as reported by NDTV.
At a recent court hearing, Mostafa Nili, her lawyer, stated that the court presiding over Mohammadi's case imposed six years of confinement for gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security against Mohammadi. This will add to the approximately one-and-a-half years she now faces for the "propaganda" convictions as well, according to several media reports.
In addition, the courts have also ordered additional two year travel prohibitions for Mohammadi from leaving the country due to her conviction.
Who is Narges Mohammadi?
Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist who has been widely recognised for her work as the vice-president of the Defenders for Human Rights Centre (DHRC), a rights body established and headed by Shirin Ebadi, the first Iranian to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.
Mohammadi studied physics at Qazvin International University and became an engineer. During her time in the university, she wrote a number of articles in the student newspaper advocating for women's rights and was arrested on two occasions for being a part of the political student organisation known as 'Tashakkol Daneshjuyi Roshangaraan'.
Her work
Upon graduating, Mohammadi began her journalism career in journalism and worked with many reformist newspapers. She also authored a book of political essays The Reforms, the Strategy and the Tactics and White Torture (a two-volume book series), documenting the effects of physical and emotional torture on prisoners in Iran's prisons.
Additionally, in September 2008, she was voted to serve as President of the National Council of Peace in Iran's Executive Committee.
Arrests
In her time advocating for individual freedoms, Mohammadi has spent a significant amount of time behind bars due to her policies on promoting human rights. Specifically since 2009 when the regime seized her passport and again in 2010 when she was unlawfully detained.
In 2011, the court convicted her of multiple charges, including acting against national security and being a member of the DHRC. She initially received an 11-year prison sentence, but it was later reduced to six years upon appeal. On April 21, 2012, she was summoned to Evin Prison to start her sentence but was released on bail in July 2012 for medical reasons.
In 2014, Mohammadi spoke publicly about the harsh conditions in Evin Prison, which gained widespread attention on social media. Soon after, new charges were brought against her for spreading propaganda against the government and colluding to commit crimes against national security. In May 2015, she was arrested again and sentenced to a total of 16 years in prison. In 2020, she faced new convictions on multiple counts.
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While still imprisoned, in January 2022, Mohammadi received another sentence of eight years and 70 lashes. In February 2022, she was temporarily released for medical treatment after undergoing heart surgery, as reported by NDTV. She returned to prison on April 12, 2022.
She has already spent over a decade of her life in prison. According to the Narges Foundation, the latest court ruling has increased the total prison time ordered against her to 44 years.
Nobel Peace Prize
On October 6, 2023, Mohammadi received the Nobel Peace Prize for her ongoing efforts to support women's rights and human rights in Iran.
