Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, lost 20 kg and did not receive adequate treatment after suffering a heart attack in prison, according to a statement released on Wednesday, 29, by the Narges Foundation.
The institution stated that the activist’s defense requested the Tehran Public Prosecutor’s Office to conditionally suspend the sentence for one month, so that Narges could receive specialized cardiac medical care.
However, the agency rejected the request, even with confirmation from the Zanjan Legal Medical Institute that she needs at least one month of medical leave. Tehran’s deputy attorney general told the activist’s family that the city of Zanjan has the infrastructure to offer the necessary treatment and, therefore, he saw no reason to transfer her to Pars Hospital, in the Iranian capital.
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According to Narges’ family, two cardiologists have already indicated that she cannot receive treatment in Zanjan, as the city’s hospitals do not have sufficient infrastructure to carry out the procedure and the necessary post-operative care. The activist has undergone three angioplasties in recent years, which increases the complexity and risk of surgery and treatment.
The Narges Foundation stated that, last Friday, the 24th, the activist had a serious heart attack, suspected of having a heart attack, with symptoms such as persistent chest pain and loss of consciousness.
According to the institution, the legal team met with her on Tuesday, 28, and stated that her health condition is “critical”. She has high blood pressure and is not responding to medication. In addition to cardiovascular problems, Narges lost 20 kg and experiences persistent chest pain.
“I wake up every day with the fear of receiving the news of her death. Words cannot describe the devastation our family is feeling,” said the activist’s brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi. “This is no longer just prison; it’s death in slow motion.”
“Every time Narges calls our family from Zanjan prison, she is weaker, thinner and on the verge of death. They are literally watching her life slip away and do nothing,” Hamidreza added.
The institution stated that, until the activist is evaluated by the medical team already accompanying her and by specialists, she cannot be subjected to any new medication or medical procedure.
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“More than one hundred and thirty-eight days of medical negligence brought my mother to the brink of death. Neither my mother, nor any prisoner of conscience, should ever be deprived of the fundamental right to health,” said the activist’s daughter, Kiana Rahmani, co-president of the Narges Foundation.
“This denial of essential care disrespects the principle of human dignity, the right of each individual under international law, and constitutes an act of torture,” said one of the woman’s lawyers, Chirinne Ardakani.
Narges was arrested in December 2025 after criticizing the Iranian government and taken to Zanjan Central Prison, in the northwest of the country. In February, she was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison. Throughout her career as an activist for women’s rights in Iran and against the death penalty, she has been arrested on other occasions and spent, in total, more than 10 years behind bars.
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