BEIRUT – Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been urgently transferred from a prison in Zanjan to a hospital in northwestern Iran following what her foundation described as a “catastrophic deterioration” of her health.
The transfer follows a severe cardiac crisis and two episodes of complete loss of consciousness. Mohammadi is currently admitted to a cardiac care unit as her legal team and family report critical instability in her condition.
The move comes amid allegations of prolonged medical neglect. The Narges Mohammadi Foundation stated the transfer was an “unavoidable necessity” after prison doctors determined her condition could no longer be managed on-site, despite prior recommendations that she be treated by her specialized medical team in Tehran.
Allegations of Medical Neglect and Physical Abuse
The foundation asserts that Mohammadi’s hospitalization follows “140 days of systematic medical neglect” since her arrest on December 12.
Legal representatives and family members have detailed a timeline of deteriorating health:
- December 12: Mohammadi was arrested in Mashhad; her family later reported she was beaten, kicked in the head, neck, and side by multiple men during the arrest.
- March 24: Fellow inmates found Mohammadi unconscious. A prison clinic doctor later informed her she had likely suffered a heart attack.
- Late March: Lawyers visiting the prisoner described her as pale, underweight, and requiring a nurse’s assistance to walk.
Hamidreza Mohammadi, the laureate’s brother, stated in an audio message that the family is “fighting for her life,” alleging that prosecutors in Zanjan have blocked necessary medical interventions.
Her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, reported via X that Mohammadi experienced severe blood pressure fluctuations and fainted repeatedly. While prison doctors initially administered drugs, the transfer to a hospital was only ordered after a neurologist intervened following a second fainting spell.
Rights advocates note that under Iran’s own Prisons Regulations, detainees are legally entitled to timely access to outside specialists when required, and accuse authorities of weaponizing delays in referrals as a form of pressure on high-profile political prisoners.
Legal Status and Revolutionary Court Sentences
Mohammadi, 53, is a rights lawyer and prominent human rights activist whose legal battles have spanned several years. Prior to her December 12 arrest, she had been serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against the government, handed down by Iran’s Revolutionary Court system.
She had been on medical furlough since late 2024, during which she continued her activism through international media appearances and protests in front of Evin Prison in Tehran.
In February, a Revolutionary Court in Mashhad sentenced her to an additional seven years in prison. Such courts, which operate under the authority of Iran’s judiciary and apply the country’s Islamic Penal Code in cases deemed related to national security, are widely criticized by rights groups for issuing verdicts with minimal opportunity for defendants to contest charges or challenge evidence.
A medical official in Zanjan has recommended a one-month suspension of Mohammadi’s sentence to allow for proper treatment; however, the public prosecutor in Zanjan has referred the request to a counterpart in Tehran for a decision, underscoring how prosecutorial discretion and inter-provincial jurisdiction can determine whether a critically ill prisoner receives care.
International Recognition and Political Activism
In 2023, Mohammadi became the fifth person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned. The award recognized her efforts to combat the oppression of women in Iran and her long-running campaign against the death penalty, adding international pressure on authorities already under scrutiny for their human rights record.
Her activism intensified following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police. The incident sparked widespread protests across the country, which Mohammadi supported from prison through public letters and advocacy.
The Nobel committee issued a statement in February condemning the “ongoing life-threatening mistreatment” of the laureate and calling on Iranian authorities to ensure she receives adequate medical care.
Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi continued to challenge the state, calling for a boycott of the 2024 election won by President Masoud Pezeshkian. She has consistently maintained that sustained popular pressure – both inside Iran and from the international community – will eventually force a change in the country’s political direction.
As Mohammadi remains under guard in hospital, her case has become a test of how Iran’s justice and prison systems handle the health of high-profile political detainees, and whether international scrutiny can influence decisions made deep inside the country’s opaque security and judicial apparatus.