The family of the jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi has expressed grave fears for her life following a sharp deterioration in her health, including a suspected heart attack and a weight loss of nearly 20 kilograms (44 pounds). The 54-year-old human rights activist, who was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize while incarcerated, had been released temporarily for health reasons in 2024 but was re-arrested in December 2025 during the memorial service of a fellow activist. She is currently held in Zanjan Central Prison in northwestern Iran.
Medical Concerns and Legal Efforts
Mohammadi's legal team has 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. She has been experiencing persistent chest pain, loss of consciousness, and extreme weight loss. The Narges Mohammadi Foundation reported that her blood pressure has fluctuated dangerously over the past three days, showing no response to medication. The foundation stated, "In addition to these cardiovascular issues, she has suffered a staggering weight loss of more than 19kg and is experiencing enduring, recurring pain." Lack of access to appropriate treatment is placing her life in immediate danger.
Specialist Recommendations
Cardiology specialists familiar with Mohammadi's case have told her family that she requires urgent, specialized medical care. Given her complex cardiac history, including multiple previous angioplasties, any further surgery must be performed by her own doctors in a fully equipped hospital in Tehran. The facilities in Zanjan are deemed inadequate for her needs.
Family's Plea
Mohammadi's brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi, who is based in Oslo, said the family is "shattered." He emphasized, "The specialists have been clear: keeping her in that prison, under that immense stress and those brutal conditions, is like a death sentence. They can't even adjust her medication because it's 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."
Her children also expressed deep concern. Kiana Rahmani, Mohammadi's daughter living in Paris, told the Guardian, "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, said 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."
Background and Ongoing Sentences
Before her re-arrest 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 Narges Mohammadi Foundation highlighted, "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."
Kiana Rahmani remains hopeful for her mother's release, stating, "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."
