The family of jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi has expressed grave fears for her life following a severe deterioration in her health, including a suspected heart attack and a weight loss of nearly 20 kilograms (44 pounds).
Health Crisis Behind Bars
The 54-year-old human rights activist, who was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize while incarcerated, had been temporarily released for medical reasons in 2024. However, she was rearrested in December 2025 during a memorial service for a fellow human rights activist and is currently held in Zanjan Central Prison in northwestern Iran.
According to her legal team, they have been attempting to secure a one-month medical suspension of her sentence after she was found unconscious in her cell last month following a suspected heart attack. Mohammadi has been suffering from persistent chest pain, loss of consciousness, and extreme weight loss.
"For the past three days, her blood pressure has fluctuated dangerously, showing no response to medication. In addition to these cardiovascular issues, she has suffered a staggering weight loss of more than 19 kilograms and is experiencing enduring, recurring pain," the Narges Mohammadi Foundation stated. The foundation emphasized that the lack of access to appropriate treatment is placing her life in immediate danger.
Urgent Need for Specialised Care
Cardiology specialists familiar with her case have informed the family that Mohammadi requires urgent, specialised medical care. Doctors noted her complex cardiac history, including multiple previous angioplasties, and stated that any further surgery must be performed by her own doctors in a fully equipped hospital in Tehran. The facilities in Zanjan are considered inadequate for her needs.
Her brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi, who is based in Oslo, said the family is "shattered." He added, "The specialists have been clear: keeping her in that prison, under that immense stress and those brutal conditions, is like a death sentence. They cannot even adjust her medication because it is too dangerous without her full medical team present. We are not just fighting for her freedom any more; we are fighting for her heart to keep beating."
Children's Plea
Mohammadi's children have also voiced deep concern for their mother's wellbeing. Her daughter, Kiana Rahmani, who lives in Paris, said, "My mother's body is simply exhausted. After more than 10 years behind bars and so many hunger strikes, her heart is struggling; she already has a stent from a previous surgery, and now she faces daily headaches, high blood pressure, and constant chest pains. Even now, in Zanjan prison, as she suffers through that pain, the authorities cruelly deny her the medical care she desperately needs."
Her son, Ali, stated that his mother is being punished for speaking up for "those who were executed, killed, imprisoned, and disappeared in Iran." He added, "She is incredibly brave, like all the other women and people of Iran, and I admire all of them. The Islamic republic must release all political prisoners in Iran immediately."
A History of Imprisonment
Before her rearrest in late 2025, Mohammadi had already spent more than a decade behind bars. In February 2026, she was sentenced to an additional seven and a half years in prison. The charges against her include collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government. She openly supported the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini and has campaigned for women's rights, the abolition of the death penalty, and improved prison conditions in Iran.
The foundation highlighted her plight: "A woman who has received 44 years of sentence in her lifetime, already spent more than 10 years of her life behind bars, 161 days in solitary confinement, and faces at least 18 more years of imprisonment and 154 lashes for her peaceful activism, now needs our collective voice."
Despite the dire situation, Kiana expressed hope for her mother's release. "Today marks her 138th day in this current arrest, but as my mom always tells us, we must keep hope. So, I am hoping the world finally hears my voice and refuses to stay silent. I hope for the day she and all political prisoners are free and reunited with their loved ones."
