Authorities in Iran sentenced prominent human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to seven and a half years in prison on Sunday, February 8, a ruling that has renewed international concern over civil liberties in the Middle East. 

The verdict marks her tenth sentence since 2021 and underscores the sustained pressure faced by dissenting voices in the country.

Mohammadi, 53, was convicted on charges including collusion, conspiracy and propaganda against the state, according to her lawyer, Mostafa Nili. 

The court imposed six years for “gathering and colluding,” an additional 18 months for propaganda-related activities, and a two-year travel ban as a supplementary punishment. Under Iranian law, prison terms are not cumulative.

She was arrested on December 12 in Mashhad after attending a memorial service for a lawyer found dead, alongside several other activists. 

Following weeks of isolation, her foundation reported that Mohammadi ended a six-day hunger strike on Sunday due to a sharp deterioration in her health, warning that her continued detention poses an immediate risk to her life.

Her lawyer has said the ruling can be appealed and expressed hope that she may be temporarily released on bail to receive medical treatment. Mohammadi has spent much of the past decade behind bars and has not seen her two children, who live in Paris, since 2015.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran, Mohammadi remains a powerful symbol of resistance, even as her case highlights the broader human rights challenges facing the Middle East.