The Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, has lost 20 kg and did not receive proper treatment after suffering a heart attack in prison, according to a statement released on Wednesday, the 29th, by the Narges Foundation.
The foundation stated that the activist’s lawyers requested Tehran’s Public Prosecutor’s Office to grant a one-month conditional suspension of the sentence so that Narges could receive specialized cardiac medical care.
However, the agency rejected the request, even with confirmation from the Zanjan Forensic Medicine Institute that she needs at least one month of medical leave. The Tehran Deputy Attorney General told the activist’s family that the city of Zanjan has the facilities to provide the necessary treatment and, therefore, he saw no reasons to transfer her to Pars Hospital in the Iranian capital.
According to Narges’s family, two cardiologists have already indicated that she cannot receive treatment in Zanjan, as the city’s hospitals lack the infrastructure to perform the procedure and provide the necessary postoperative care. The activist has undergone three angioplasties in recent years, which increases the complexity and risk of the surgery and treatment.
The Narges Foundation stated that, last Friday, the 24th, the activist experienced a severe heart attack-like episode, with symptoms such as persistent chest pain and loss of consciousness.
According to the institution, the legal team met with her on Tuesday, the 28th, and stated that her health status is “critical.” She has high blood pressure and does not respond to medication. In addition to the cardiovascular problems, Narges has lost 20 kg and experiences persistent chest pains.
“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 is a slow death.”
“Every time Narges calls our family from Zanjan Prison, she is weaker, thinner, and on the brink of death. They are literally watching her life drain away and they are doing nothing,” added Hamidreza.
The foundation stated that, until the activist is evaluated by the medical team that already follows her and by specialists, she cannot be subjected to any new medication or medical procedure.
“More than 138 days of medical neglect have brought my mother to the verge 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 violates the principle of human dignity, the right of every individual under international law, and constitutes an act of torture,” said one of the activist’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 journey as a women’s rights activist in Iran and in the fight against the death penalty, she has been imprisoned on other occasions and has spent, in total, more than 10 years behind bars.
