The Norwegian Nobel Committee said on Wednesday that jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi had been subjected to beatings and “life-threatening abuse” by Iranian authorities during his arrest and detention, citing “credible reports” that the committee’s chairman described to CNN as “horrifying”.
Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairman Jørgen Watne Fridnes told CNN on Wednesday that according to reliable reports from the country, Muhammadi has been subjected to severe physical abuse in Iran.
Fridnes told CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour that the committee was “horrified” by the reports it had received regarding Mohammadi’s recent arrest and detention.
According to these reports, during her arrest in December, she was repeatedly hit with wooden sticks and a baton, dragged by her hair on the ground, and suffered injuries that left open wounds on her head. She was also repeatedly kicked in the pelvis and genital area, causing severe pain and the inability to sit or function normally.
“The reporting is actually frightening,” Fridnes told CNN. “This is cruel and inhumane treatment, and a blatant violation of international human rights law,” he said, adding that he continues to be subjected to intense interrogation and intimidation while in custody, and is denied adequate and ongoing medical care.
Mr Fridnes expressed particular concern given Ms Mohammadi’s known heart disease and other medical conditions, and warned that her health needs were not being adequately addressed.
“We are certainly worried that she will not survive any longer,” he said, citing the seriousness of her condition and the escalating abuse that has been reported in recent weeks.
He linked her case to what he described as widespread illegal mass killings and repression following recent protests in Iran, calling her treatment an example of the regime’s repression.
As for what action the Nobel Committee could take, Fridnes said it was appealing directly to Iranian authorities to abide by international law and stop violations. He also called on the international community to step up pressure on Tehran.
“This is a call to action on both the Iranian regime and the international community to put pressure on Mr. Mohammadi to ensure his safety.” He called on governments in contact with Iran to make her immediate and unconditional release part of negotiations.
Fridnes acknowledged that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to individuals facing persecution carries risks and could increase pressure on them. But he pointed out that in the years leading up to her award, Muhammadi had taken significant risks and continued to advocate for “women, life and freedom,” the Iranian slogan, and for democracy and fundamental human rights in Iran.
During her arrest in December, security forces repeatedly beat the activist, dragged her by the hair, tore part of her scalp, and continued to beat her in a transport vehicle, the Nobel committee said in a statement early Wednesday.
CNN has contacted Iran’s Foreign Ministry and its mission to the United Nations in New York for comment.
One of Iran’s most prominent human rights activists, Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 and has spent much of the past two decades as an inmate at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.
In December 2024, Iranian authorities suspended her sentence to allow her to recover from surgery, but she was arrested again a year later and has remained in custody ever since.
On Saturday, Mohammadi was sentenced to an additional seven years in prison, according to his lawyer.
The new sentence was imposed amid a widespread crackdown on dissent in Iran following mass protests against the regime in January that plunged the country into crisis.
On Sunday, Mohammadi ended a hunger strike she began in early February to protest “unlawful detention, deplorable prison conditions and denial of access to family and lawyers,” according to her foundation, which cited reports that her health was “very worrying.”
In a brief phone call with his lawyer Mostafa Nili on Sunday, Mohammadi said he was hospitalized last week but was returned to a detention center in Mashhad before his treatment was complete.
The family-run foundation said Mohammadi had a history of heart attacks, chest pains, high blood pressure, as well as disc problems and other illnesses.
