Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Hospitalized After Prison Health Crisis
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was rushed to a hospital Saturday after a severe health decline in custody, her family said, warning the 54-year-old rights activist's life is in danger.
Mohammadi, who has been detained since 2021 and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her work advocating women's rights, suffered from internal bleeding, low blood pressure and extreme weaknessdue to prolonged hunger strikes and poor prison conditions, her brother, Hamid Mohammadi, told the AP.
"She is in critical condition," he said. "Her body can no longer resist. We fear we might lose her at any moment."
The activist was transferred from Tehran's notorious Evin Prison to a local hospital in the capital late Saturday, according to her family, who added that authorities have restricted access to her and blocked independent medical evaluations.
Mohammadi has repeatedly gone on hunger strikes to protest Iran's mandatory hijab laws, political repression and the detention of women's rights activists. She has been sentenced to multiple prison terms totaling over 30 years and 154 lashes on charges including "spreading propaganda against the state" and "organizing anti-government protests."
Her imprisonment and courage have made her a global symbol of resistance to Iran's clerical rule. The Nobel Committee praised her for "her fight against the oppression of women in Iran" and for "promoting human rights and freedom for all."
The Iranian government has rejected international calls for her release, labeling her a "foreign agent" and accusing her of destabilizing the country. Her health has deteriorated sharply in recent months, with her family reporting fainting spells, kidney problems and severe weight loss due to inadequate food and medical care in prison.
Human rights groups have condemned her treatment. "Narges Mohammadi is being slowly killed by the Iranian state," said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Iran Human Rights organization. "Her only crime is speaking truth to power. The world must demand her immediate and unconditional release."
The news of her hospitalization comes as tensions remain high in Iran, where anti-government protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini continue to simmer. Mohammadi has been a central figure in the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, which has challenged the Islamic Republic's strict gender laws and authoritarian rule.
As of Saturday night, Mohammadi remained in the hospital under heavy security, with her family saying they were allowed only a brief, supervised visit. "We don't know if she will survive the night," Hamid Mohammadi said. "This is a tragedy that must end."
