Key Points:
Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to another 7.5 years in prison, along with internal exile and travel ban, raising her total imprisonment to 44 years.
Iranian authorities say the punishment is for national security and propaganda charges, while human rights groups say she is being jailed for activism against state repression.
Despite winning the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize and facing global pressure, Mohammadi remains imprisoned, with serious concerns over her health and safety.
Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian Human Rights activist has been further sentenced to imprisonment of about eight years on Sunday, February 8, 2026. A Court in Mashhad city of Iran sentenced her to a total of 7.5 years for assembly and collusion against national security, and propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Mohammadi’s lawyer Mostafa Nili announced the verdict and his conversation with Mohammadi in a post on X, on February 8, 2026. She has been serving a previous sentence of more than 17 years of active imprisonment. Along with the 7.5 years further imprisonment, she was also punished with two years of internal exile to the city of Khusf, and a two year extended travel ban. She now faces a total of 44 years of severe imprisonment throughout her life.
Narges Mohammadi, along with being a human rights activist, is also the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), an organisation founded by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. She has been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by Iranian authorities for what they describe as “propaganda against the state,” “acting against national security,” and links to banned human rights groups. Human rights organisations argue these charges are politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent.
For years, she has been one of the most outspoken critics of Iran’s government, particularly on issues of women’s rights, the death penalty, torture in prisons, and state repression. Her conviction, arrest and detention has been condemned harshly by many international human rights groups, and the Nobel Committee, demanding her release.
Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, for protesting against the oppression of women in Iran. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee issued a strong statement after her arrest on December 12, 2025.
Jorgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said on December 12, 2025: “The Norwegian Nobel Committee calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions. The Committee stands in solidarity with Narges Mohammadi and all those in Iran who work peacefully for human rights, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.”
Frydnes also pointed out the harsh imprisonment of other political activists protesting against the Iranian regime, demanding their release. His statement reads further: “Given the close collaboration between the regimes in Iran and Venezuela, the Norwegian Nobel Committee notes that Ms. Mohammadi is arrested just as the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado.”
Despite international pressure from the United Nations, Nobel Committee, European governments, and global human rights groups, Iranian authorities have largely refused to release her. As of the latest reports, Mohammadi remains incarcerated under harsh conditions, with ongoing concerns about her health, safety, and access to medical care. Her case has become a symbol of Iran’s broader crackdown on dissent, especially against women activists, journalists, and human rights defenders.
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