ZANJAN, IRAN – Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi remains in critical condition within a cardiac care unit in Zanjan, northwestern Iran, following a “catastrophic deterioration” of her health late last week. The 54-year-old human rights advocate was transferred from prison to the hospital on Friday after suffering two episodes of fainting and a severe cardiac event, according to statements from the Narges Mohammadi Foundation.
Family representatives report that Mohammadi’s blood pressure continues to fluctuate dangerously, with medical staff currently limiting intervention to oxygen therapy to stabilize her. The foundation has characterized her hospitalization as a “desperate, last-minute” measure, alleging that her condition reached this state following 140 days of systematic medical neglect since her December arrest. Despite urgent pleas from her family and legal team, judicial authorities have thus far denied requests to transfer her to a specialized medical facility in Tehran, where her longtime cardiologist and personal medical team are based.
Mohammadi, a prominent campaigner for women’s rights and the abolition of the death penalty, has faced declining health for months, including a suspected heart attack in late March. Her family reports that she suffers from chronic heart conditions and lung issues, exacerbated by alleged mistreatment and physical abuse within the prison system. Her latest incarceration, a 7-1/2 year sentence imposed in February, sparked international condemnation, with the Nobel committee repeatedly calling for her immediate release on humanitarian grounds.