CAIRO (AP) — Doctors have reported that Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace laureate and renowned human rights activist, will require months of medical treatment following her recent collapse in an Iranian prison. Her foundation shared this critical update on her health on Wednesday, revealing that an angiography procedure conducted over a week after her collapse has shown significant deterioration in her vascular health.
The angiogram indicated that two of Mohammadi’s primary arteries are severely blocked, a concerning development since her last similar procedure in 2024. Currently 53 years old, Mohammadi experienced a near-fatal collapse while imprisoned, which led to her urgent transfer to a hospital in northwestern Iran on May 1. She remained hospitalized for nearly ten days before being released on bail to continue her treatment in a Tehran facility, where medical specialists assessed her condition.
The attending physician has noted that Mohammadi’s blood pressure remains unstable. This fluctuation is partly attributed to damage to the brain’s regulatory functions, exacerbating her overall health issues. Given the severity of her condition, doctors have recommended an eight-month treatment course in a stress-free environment that would support her long-term care and recovery.
In response to her declining health, Mohammadi’s foundation, alongside dozens of Nobel Prize laureates, has called for her unconditional release. Mohammadi is recognized as a prominent advocate for human and women’s rights in Iran and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2023 while still imprisoned. Throughout her career, she has faced multiple incarcerations, with her most recent arrest occurring in December 2022 in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran.
Her family has publicly expressed their concern regarding her deteriorating health, emphasizing that conditions in prison, including alleged severe beatings during her arrest, have played a significant role in her decline. Mohammadi suffered a heart attack in March and has been coping with a pre-existing blood clot in her lung, which requires consistent monitoring and anticoagulant medication.
Narges Mohammadi’s prolonged health issues and lack of proper care in prison underline the urgent need for attention to the conditions faced by political prisoners in Iran. Her ongoing medical treatment is a vital step not only for her recovery but also for raising awareness of the plight of other activists in similar situations.
