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Nobel laureate transferred amid critical health concerns
Iranian authorities have temporarily suspended the prison sentence of Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and moved her to a Tehran hospital after warnings that her life was at risk. The decision follows months of deteriorating health, including two suspected heart attacks earlier this year, her family said on Sunday.
Family expresses cautious relief
Mohammadi's brother, Hamidreza, told the BBC he was relieved she would now receive care from her own medical team but stressed that the full extent of her condition remained unclear. "It's very early stages, so we don't have precise news," he said. "The only worry is the permanent damage caused during her time in prison."
Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, based in Paris, described her transfer as "temporary relief" but warned that returning her to prison would be catastrophic. "Narges must never be returned to the conditions that broke her health," he said in a statement.
Health deteriorates after suspected heart attacks
Mohammadi, 54, has lost approximately 20kg (44 pounds) while incarcerated and struggles to speak, according to her lawyer, Chirinne Ardakani. A photo shared by Ardakani shows Mohammadi sitting up in a hospital bed, appearing frail and barely recognizable.
Her brother said she had developed variant angina, a heart condition caused by sudden narrowing of a coronary artery, which could have lifelong consequences. "She has been experiencing very serious symptoms," he added.
Decade behind bars for human rights activism
Mohammadi, vice-president of Iran's Defenders of Human Rights Center, has spent more than 10 years in prison for her advocacy against female oppression and state repression. In 2021, she began serving a 13-year sentence on charges of "propaganda activity against the state" and "collusion against state security," which she has consistently denied.
In December 2024, she was briefly released from Tehran's Evin prison on medical grounds but was rearrested the same month for making "provocative remarks" at a memorial ceremony, according to Iranian authorities. Her family alleged she was beaten during the arrest and later hospitalized.
New sentence adds to mounting legal pressure
In early February, a Revolutionary Court sentenced Mohammadi to an additional seven and a half years in prison for "gathering and collusion" and "propaganda activities." This brings her total remaining sentence to 18 years, her lawyer said.
Last month, she was found unconscious by fellow inmates in Zanjan prison after suffering a suspected heart attack. She had spent 10 days at a hospital in Zanjan, about 265km (165 miles) northwest of Tehran, before being transferred to Tehran Pars Hospital on Sunday.
Calls for unconditional release grow
The Narges Mohammadi Foundation, run by her family, said a temporary suspension of her sentence was insufficient. "She requires permanent, specialized care," the statement read. "Now is the time to demand her unconditional freedom and the dismissal of all charges. No human rights activist should ever be imprisoned for their peaceful work."
Hamidreza Mohammadi warned that any return to prison would "again cause severe problems for her and eventually her death."
