Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Begins Hunger Strike In Iranian Detention, Family Foundation Says

Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has begun a hunger strike while detained by Iranian authorities, the Paris-based Narges Foundation — run by her family — said in a statement shared exclusively with CNN.

What the Foundation Says

The foundation said it received credible information that Mohammadi began her strike on Monday "to protest her unlawful detention and the dire conditions in which she is being held," conditions it says are shared by many political prisoners in Iran.

"In these difficult days for our country, Iran, we ask human rights organizations, activists, and the global community to think of the political prisoners in detention centers and put practical actions on the agenda to save their lives," the foundation said.

Family Statements And Conditions

Ali Rahmani, Mohammadi’s son, said he is "deeply worried" about his mother and other detainees. "What is happening in our country is a crime against humanity," he added, noting that Mohammadi had been calling for solidarity, unity and peace prior to her arrest.

Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, said authorities have pressured Mohammadi to tell callers that she is "all right" when permitted phone contact. "But the Narges we know refuses to submit to such pressure; she insists on speaking her truth," he said. "Narges will never be silenced, and it is her voice that they fear most."

Arrest, Health Concerns And Prison History

Mohammadi was detained in December by security and police forces during a memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights activist later found dead in his office. Her arrest took place in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city.

The foundation warned that Mohammadi's medical history — including past heart attacks, episodes of chest pain, high blood pressure, spinal disc problems and other ailments — makes continued detention especially dangerous and, it said, a violation of human rights law. The foundation also reports that Mohammadi has been denied regular family access and has had only one phone call with her brother, on December 14, with no contact since.

Mohammadi, one of Iran's most prominent human rights activists, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 and has spent much of the last two decades in Tehran's Evin Prison, known for holding critics of the regime. The Narges Foundation says she has been sentenced to multiple prison terms totaling 36 years on charges including acting against national security and spreading propaganda.

In December 2024, authorities temporarily suspended her prison term for three weeks so she could recover from surgery that removed part of a bone in her lower right leg after doctors found a lesion suspected of being cancerous. She was expected to return to prison but remained on furlough until her December arrest.

Supporters' Appeal

Supporters and human rights advocates describe Mohammadi as a political prisoner targeted for her work advancing women's rights and democratic change. The foundation has called on international human rights organizations, governments and activists to take practical steps to protect political prisoners in Iran.