Tehran [Iran], February 6 : Iranian human rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has initiated a hunger strike while in detention, her family's foundation said in a statement shared with CNN.
The protest, which began on Monday (local time), is aimed at drawing attention to her "unlawful detention and the dire conditions in which she is being held," as well as the plight of numerous political prisoners across the country, the foundation added.
Mohammadi's son, Ali Rahmani, said he was "deeply worried" about her health and wellbeing as the strike continued. "What is happening in our country is a crime against humanity," he said, highlighting his mother's longstanding commitment to human rights and calls for "solidarity, unity and peace" before her arrest.
The activist was arrested in December in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, during a memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a prominent lawyer and human rights defender found dead in his office. The foundation reported that Mohammadi's only recent contact with her family was a phone call with her brother on December 14, and no further communication has been allowed since.
Mohammadi, 51, has been recognised internationally for her decades-long advocacy for women's rights, democracy and civil liberties in Iran. She spent most of the past twenty years in and out of prison for her activism and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her efforts to advance freedom and human rights in a country where dissent is often met with harsh reprisals, according to CNN.
The foundation warned that Mohammadi's continued detention is "extremely dangerous" given her medical history, which includes heart attacks, chest pain, high blood pressure and spinal disc issues. It said such chronic conditions, coupled with hunger strike conditions and limited access to family or adequate medical care, could pose serious risks to her health.
Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, also criticised the restrictions placed on her communication with loved ones, saying Iranian authorities attempted to dictate what she should say during allowed phone conversations. He insisted that "the Narges we know refuses to submit to such pressure; she insists on speaking her truth."
Human rights groups and activists have long decried Iran's handling of political detainees, particularly those associated with the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement that swept the country following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in custody. Iran has responded to dissent with widespread detentions, and coordinated hunger strikes by prisoners have been reported in multiple facilities in protest of executions and harsh prison conditions.
Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on Mohammadi's hunger strike. The action is likely to intensify international scrutiny, with global rights organisations and foreign governments already calling attention to human rights abuses in Iran.