Iran Nobel Peace winner Mohammadi starts hunger strike

The Nobel Peace laureate imprisoned in Iran has begun a hunger strike.

Narges Mohammadi managed to convey a message from Tehran's notorious Evin Prison to her family, according to her Instagram account, which is managed by relatives abroad.

"We are concerned about Narges Mohammadi's physical condition and health," the account stated on Monday.

Mohammadi, one of the most prominent human rights activists in Iran, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year "for her struggle against the suppression of women in Iran and her fight for the promotion of human rights and freedom for all".

Currently, the 51-year-old is serving a lengthy prison sentence in the prison in Tehran.

According to the Instagram post, Mohammadi's hunger strike is a protest against prison conditions and against the compulsory headscarf rule for women in the Islamic Republic.

The post alleges that sick inmates are neglected and denied necessary medical treatment.

Mohammadi suffers from lung and heart conditions.