By Ziba Akhavan, CODIR_e-Newsletter, February 6, 2026

Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a tireless champion for human rights, has launched a hunger strike from her place of detention in Mashhad, Iran. The strike, which began on Monday, February 2, marks a desperate protest against what she describes as her unlawful detention, the “dire conditions” of her confinement, and the Iranian government’s continued efforts to isolate her from the world.

A Voice Behind Bars

Ms. Mohammadi, 53, was arrested most recently last December while attending a memorial service for a human rights lawyer. According to a statement released by her family and the Paris-based Narges Mohammadi Foundation, she has been held in near-total isolation, allowed only a single phone call to her brother since her arrest.

In that lone communication, she reported being severely beaten by authorities—injuries so grave they required two emergency room visits. Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, and her daughter, Kiana, have expressed “grave concern” for her life, noting that she suffers from chronic heart and lung conditions and requires specialized care following a recent bone graft surgery.

Global Outcry and International Reactions

The news of Mohammadi’s hunger strike has sent shockwaves through the international community, sparking a fresh wave of condemnation against the Iranian regime.

• The Nobel Committee: The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awarded Mohammadi the Peace Prize in 2023 for her “fight against the oppression of women,” has previously described the Iranian authorities’ treatment of her as “inhumane and morally unacceptable.” Following news of the strike, supporters and human rights organizations have called on the Committee and the United Nations to exert maximum pressure on Tehran to ensure her safety.
• Human Rights Watch & Amnesty International: Rights groups have characterized the denial of medical care and legal counsel as a “slow-motion execution.” Amnesty International has reiterated its designation of Mohammadi as a “prisoner of conscience,” demanding her immediate and unconditional release.

“They Fear Her Voice”

Despite the physical toll of her hunger strike—consuming only water, sugar, and salt—Mohammadi’s resolve remains unbroken. Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, remains vocal from exile, stating that the authorities refuse to move her to a facility in Tehran simply to maintain “tight, local control” over her.

“They know that if she is released, she will immediately resume her activism,” Rahmani said. “Narges will never be silenced, and it is her voice that they fear most.”

How to Help

The Narges Mohammadi Foundation is calling on the global community to take “practical actions” to save the lives of political prisoners in Iran. Activists are urging citizens to contact their local representatives to demand that the UN Human Rights Council prioritize the health and safety of Ms. Mohammadi and her fellow detainees.

About Narges Mohammadi: Narges Mohammadi received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize in absentia while serving a 10-year sentence. She is the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre in Iran and has been arrested more than a dozen times for her advocacy