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Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi leaves Iranian prison for medical treatment

2 sources · 11 May 2026 · Share coverage ·

verbatim from the press

Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, was transferred to a hospital in Tehran after receiving temporary suspension of her sentence on bail. According to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation, she had been suffering successive fainting spells while detained at Zanjan prison in northwestern Iran.

Press quotes (1)
Carta Capital

"As autoridades iranianas libertaram sob fiança a vencedora do Prêmio Nobel da Paz em 2023, Narges Mohammadi, que foi transferida para Teerã para receber tratamento médico"

Mohammadi, 53, is a human rights defender, journalist, and deputy director of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) in Iran. She was arrested in December 2025 in Mashhad, eastern Iran, after criticizing religious authorities during a funeral. According to the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), she has spent more than 10 years of her life behind bars.

Press quotes (1)
Omct

"Narges Mohammadi is a human rights defender, journalist, author, and the deputy director and spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC) in Iran. Having spent more than 10 years of her life behind bars, her current period of detention began in December 2025"

The activist has accumulated multiple convictions for her work defending women's rights and opposing the death penalty. In February 2026, she was sentenced by Branch 1 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court to six years in prison for "assembly and collusion against national security" and 18 months for "propaganda against the state," according to OMCT. With the new sentences, the Narges Mohammadi Foundation states she has been sentenced to more than 44 years in prison throughout her life.

Press quotes (2)
Omct

"On 7 February 2026, Mohammadi's lawyer announced that the Nobel laureate was transferred to Branch 1 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court despite her objections... the human rights defender was sentenced to six years prison for 'assembly and collusion against national security' and 18 months on the charge of 'propaganda against the state."

Deutsche Welle

"The Narges Mohammadi Foundation said that with the new charges, she has now been sentenced to over 44 years in prison throughout her life."

Mohammadi led protests against the Iranian regime in autumn 2022 from captivity, following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini at the hands of the morality police for not adequately covering her hair, according to the Nobel Foundation. She received the Nobel Peace Prize "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all."

Press quotes (1)
Nobel Prize

"From captivity, Narges Mohammadi stood at the forefront of major protests against the Iranian regime in autumn 2022. The unrest had been triggered by the arrest, mistreatment and death of a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Jina Amini, at the hands of the morality police. Her crime: not adequately covering her hair."

1. What we know (1)

Narges Mohammadi was transferred to a hospital in Tehran after receiving temporary suspension on bail

2 sources Carta Capital Veja
2. Where coverage thins out (2)

Covered by only some sources, or where the accounts diverge.

Covered by only some sources (1)

Mohammadi lost about 20 kilograms in prison

Reported by: Carta Capital
Did not cover: Veja

Conflicting versions (1)

Total years of accumulated prison sentences for Narges Mohammadi

1 source — "31 years in prison and 154 lashes": Nobel Prize
2 sources — "More than 44 years in prison throughout her life": Deutsche Welle Omct
3. What we don't know yet (3)
  • How long will the temporary suspension of the sentence remain valid?

    Why it's still unknown: Neither Iranian authorities nor the Narges Mohammadi Foundation specified the duration of the measure

    Did not cover: Carta Capital Veja
  • What is the amount of bail paid for the temporary suspension?

    Why it's still unknown: The Narges Mohammadi Foundation only mentioned it was a 'considerable bail' without specifying the amount

    Did not cover: Carta Capital Veja
  • How to explain the discrepancy between the 31 years of sentencing cited by the Nobel website and the 44 years mentioned by the Narges Mohammadi Foundation?

    Why it's still unknown: Different organizations appear to use distinct calculation methodologies, including different time periods and various ways of counting served or annulled sentences

All sources

2