The family of Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi is desperately pleading for Iranian authorities to allow her transfer to a Tehran medical facility, warning that her life hangs in the balance without proper treatment.
The 53-year-old women’s rights advocate underwent her second government-ordered medical evaluation on Wednesday since being rushed to a local hospital in Zanjan, a northwestern Iranian city, after losing consciousness in her prison cell last Friday.
Mohammadi’s brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi, speaking from his base in Oslo, expressed hope that this latest examination might finally convince authorities to approve her relocation to the capital, where superior medical care is available. However, he revealed that security forces have repeatedly blocked such transfers despite medical recommendations.
“The problem is that somewhere in the system, the intelligence agency has the upper hand and they are the ones who are controlling everything,” he explained to The Associated Press. “But if it doesn’t happen, it means they are really intent on killing Narges.”
The women’s rights champion, who received the Nobel Prize in 2023 while behind bars, has faced repeated imprisonments throughout her activism career. Her current detention started in December following her arrest in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran.
According to her family, Mohammadi’s physical condition has steadily worsened during her incarceration, partly due to severe injuries sustained during her arrest. She experienced a heart attack in March and continues to battle a dangerous lung blood clot that existed before her imprisonment, requiring blood-thinning medication and constant medical supervision. Family members and legal representatives claim prison officials have consistently refused to provide adequate healthcare.
Since arriving at Zanjan hospital’s cardiac unit, Mohammadi has experienced dangerous blood pressure fluctuations and requires oxygen assistance while being unable to speak, her brother reported. Communication difficulties caused by internet restrictions implemented during the ongoing conflict have forced him to rely on sporadic text messages from family members in Iran.
Medical professionals worry the blood clot could migrate into her circulatory system. A neurosurgeon at the facility warned that her unstable blood pressure could damage both her heart and brain, according to her brother’s account.
“It is a really bad condition for Narges now,” he stated, emphasizing that the Zanjan facility lacks the capabilities to address her complex medical needs.
Hamidreza Mohammadi suggested that while global attention focuses on regional conflicts involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, Iranian leadership is using the distraction to “focus on eliminating the opposition.”
Chirinne Ardakani, Mohammadi’s legal counsel based in France, issued a stark warning Tuesday that Iranian officials are attempting to “slowly kill her.” Ardakani characterized the Islamic Republic’s “relentless pursuit against Narges” as “a signal of terror to the entire civilian population.”
The Nobel Committee issued an urgent appeal Saturday, demanding Iranian authorities “immediately transfer (Mohammadi) to her dedicated medical team in Tehran. Without such treatment, her life remains at risk.”
On Wednesday, medical transport brought Mohammadi from the Zanjan hospital to judicial medical examiners, with family members accompanying her.
The ongoing uncertainty has created tremendous stress for her brother, her spouse, and their children residing in Paris, he explained.
Mohammadi’s 19-year-old twins, Kiana and Ali, have been separated from their mother for more than a decade.
“They are devastated. They have experienced a lot of hard times. This time they are just afraid they would not hear their mother’s voice again,” Hamidreza Mohammadi shared.
As he continues waiting for updates from Iran, he reflected on the emotional toll: “My body and brain say no, but I know it might be the last chance I have.”
