Iranian authorities have sentenced Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to an additional six months in prison, according to a statement released by the Free Narges Coalition, a group campaigning for the activist.
Mohammadi, 52, was sentenced on Oct. 19 on the charge of “disobeying and resisting orders” after staging a protest against the execution of another political prisoner in the women’s ward of Evin Prison on Aug. 6.
The latest sentence comes on top of the 30-month term Mohammadi was already serving, which was extended by an additional 15 months in January. Iran’s government has not acknowledged the new sentencing.
Mohammadi, the 19th woman and second Iranian woman after Shirin Ebadi in 2003 to win the Nobel Peace Prize, has continued her activism despite numerous arrests and years of imprisonment by Iranian authorities. She is currently being held at the notorious Evin Prison, which houses political prisoners and those with Western ties.
The additional prison time is seen as a reflection of the Iranian theocracy’s anger over Mohammadi being awarded the Nobel prize in October 2023 for her years of activism, despite the government’s long-standing campaign against her.
Mohammadi has been a prominent figure in the nationwide, women-led protests that erupted following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody last year. Amini had been detained for allegedly not wearing her headscarf in accordance with the authorities’ standards.
The Free Narges Coalition has demanded Mohammadi’s unconditional release, citing her deteriorating health situation, including heart disease, which has worsened during her lengthy incarceration.
