Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been moved to a medical facility in Tehran for urgent treatment, The Associated Press reported.
The transfer, announced on Sunday by her foundation, occurred more than a week after the activist lost consciousness while being held in Zanjan prison.
The 53-year-old activist, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her advocacy for women’s rights in Iran, has been granted a temporary suspension of her sentence on bail. While the exact duration of the suspension remains unknown, the transfer follows intense pressure from her family and international observers who warned that her health had reached a critical state.
Mohammadi was arrested in December during a memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights activist found dead in his office. She was detained in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city.
In February, Mohammadi’s foundation said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate had launched a hunger strike while being held by Iranian authorities.
Mohammadi’s health reportedly declined sharply after she was heavily beaten during her arrest. Her medical history includes a heart attack in March and a pre-existing blood clot in her lung that requires constant monitoring. According to her brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi, her blood pressure recently fluctuated to dangerous levels, leaving her unable to speak and dependent on supplemental oxygen.
Mostafa Nili, Mohammadi’s lawyer in Iran, confirmed that the transfer was finally approved after the government appointed Legal Medicine Organization issued a formal assessment.
Despite the temporary suspension of her sentence, Mohammadi’s foundation argues that a brief stay in a hospital is insufficient. The activist still faces 18 years of imprisonment under her current sentence. In a statement shared with The Associated Press, the foundation emphasized the need for permanent, specialized care.
“We must ensure she never returns to prison to face the 18 years remaining on her sentence. Now is the time to demand her unconditional freedom and the dismissal of all charges," the foundation stated.
Iranian authorities have not yet issued an official comment regarding the suspension of Mohammadi’s sentence or the specific details of her medical status.
Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all."
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mohammadi, claiming the move was biased and amounted to a “politicization" of the prize.